E Africa press mull Rwanda poll

Kagame victory 'all but decided'?

East African papers covering Rwanda's presidential election agree there are only two serious contenders - the incumbent, Paul Kagame, and Faustin Twagiramungu, a former prime minister recently returned from exile.

They are also united in welcoming the vote, despite expressing concerns about ethnic factors and conduct during the election campaign.

Kenya's Daily Nation portrays the election as a vote on the legitimacy of Mr Kagame's government, which has ruled since the 1994 genocide.

"First, the election is a referendum on his government's post-genocide administration," it says.

"Secondly, it will be a measure of how much faith the majority of Rwanda's 10 million have in his vision of a united and prosperous nation."

Rwanda needs a leader with a vision, who places himself above petty politics and loves equally his country and all Rwandans Rwandan weekly Umuseso

Outside Rwanda - which lacks a fully developed press - all the papers agree with Uganda's New Vision that "Monday's ballot is all but decided" in Mr Kagame's favour.

In Kigali, the government-owned Imvaho reaches the same conclusion, but in more circumspect language.

"After some reflection, the voters will choose to leave their destiny for seven years in the hands of a candidate who will guarantee them of his usefulness," it says.

'Figurehead'?

The Rwandan weekly Umuseso is more lyrical in its prescription for Rwanda's ideal president.

"Rwanda needs a leader with a vision, who places himself above petty politics and loves equally his country and all Rwandans," it says.

"Then development and foreign assistance will follow: there will be freedom of the press, it will rain and farmers will harvest because there will be peace."

However there are words of praise for Mr Twagiramungu from Le Soft in Goma - just across the border from Rwanda in the Democratic Republic of Congo - which says he has run "a modern and aggressive campaign, in the American way".

"Those who were cynical about his being a figurehead candidate", it says, "are being shown the opposite every day."

Of the other two candidates, The EastAfrican - which devotes three pages inside pages to the election - says Alivera Mukabaramba "hasn't made any effort to get in touch with the electorate".

Second runner in a two-horse race

"Her anonymity", it adds, "is compounded by her continued avoidance of the media."

Jean Nepomuscene Nayinzira, according to Umuseso, "has chosen to campaign through prayer".

It quotes him as saying this is in order to avoid meeting other candidates' supporters in the street, "because you know what could happen".

Ethnic fears

Newspapers in neighbouring countries express some reservations about the conduct of the campaign, especially the treatment of Mr Twagiramungu by the Rwandan media.

"The run-up to voting day has been marred by incidents of police and security agents threatening the opposition, and the largely government-run media continue to demonise the leading challenger," the Daily Nation says.

Security organs should watch over what is being said, because one of the reasons for what happened in Rwanda in the past is divisive messages Imvaho - Rwanda

However Uganda's The Monitor, however, says Mr Twagiramungu has "cast a shadow... with reported calls for his subethnic nationality, the Hutu, not to forget their identity".

Earlier in the campaign, Rwanda's government-owned weekly Imvaho had warned:

"Security organs should watch over what is being said, because one of the reasons for what happened in Rwanda in the past is divisive messages."

"Nobody should be allowed to spread hatred among Rwandans," it declared.

Tanzania's Guardian says the election has indeed stoked ethnic tensions in Rwanda, "allegedly because candidates try to capitalise on tribal divisions to win votes".

"Though anticipated," it comments, "this is a very dangerous development for a country like Rwanda. We do not want to see them plunging back into bloodshed."

'Fresh start'

Despite these worries, the region's press is united in welcoming the election.

"It is a great achievement for the country which nearly collapsed due to ethnic hatred," The Guardian comments.

The Rwandan weekly Ishakwe y'iRwanda agrees.

"The foundation for a real Rwandan democracy is in place; Rwandans can view the future with hope," it says.

The Monitor sees the election as an "opportunity to get started on the road to democratic rediscovery".

"Let Rwanda join Tanzania and Kenya in that privileged club where democracy is being given a real chance to thrive," it urges.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.