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The Rwandan High Council of the Press has ordered that all four presidential candidates be given the same access to the media during the official campaigning period that began on Friday and would continue until 24 August, a day before the elections, the Rwandan News Agency reported.
Citing a five-page document issued by the council, RNA said on Saturday that "each candidate has a right to three minutes of news every day and four minutes twice a week" on Radio Rwanda and Rwanda Television. All candidates would also be entitled to five magazine broadcasts on Radio Rwanda totalling four hours and 20 minutes, as well as four magazine broadcasts totalling two hours on Rwanda Television during the campaigning period.
Furthermore, two government newspapers, Kinyarwanda-language Imvaho Nshya, and French-language la Nouvelle Releve, would offer free and equal amounts of space to the four candidates.
Other than the free space and airtime, candidates would also be allowed to pay for "political advertisement" in state owned media, RNA reported.
The presidential candidates are incumbent Paul Kagame, former Prime Minister Faustin Twagiramungu, Alivera Mukabaramba and Nepomuscene Nayinzira.
RNA recalled that the upcoming presidential elections would be the first in Rwandan history with more than one candidate.
On Thursday, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) released a provisional voters' register, indicating that 3.93 million people had thus far registered within Rwanda to vote. NEC President Chrysologue Karangwa said a complete list of the register would be released five days prior to voting day.
Meanwhile, the European Union observer mission in Rwanda announced that it would field between 60 and 70 observers countrywide to monitor the poll. NEC said it expected close to 1,000 observers from different countries would be present to monitor the elections.
On Saturday, the British government pledged US $1 million to support the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, the latter due to be held on 29 September, Radio Rwanda reported. It said the donation was announced in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, by British secretary of state for international development, Baroness Valerie Amos, following talks with Kagame. Amos, who assumed office on 12 May, is touring the Great Lakes region.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
