African elections show democracy should not be taken for granted | Opinions

Rwanda’s Paul Kagame has won a landslide victory in the presidential elections held on July 15. His Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) party also emerged victorious in the legislative vote, retaining its parliamentary majority. With more than 99 percent of the vote in Kagame’s favour, this presidential election appears to be a repeat of the previous three, where the incumbent secured expected victories.

Kagame’s re-election unfolds against a broader context of many other important electoral races across Africa this year. Presidential elections have already taken place in the Comoros,…