Kagame's female challenger takes another shot at Rwanda's presidency

35-year-old Diane Shima Rwigara has resubmitted her nomination to be a candidate during the August 3 elections after she was rejected by Rwanda’s National Electoral Commission (NEC).

She and four other candidates fell short of the required number of signatures and had until last Sunday, July 2 to provide the remainder, NEC Chairman, Kalisa Mbanda announced last week.

Rwigara however said on July 5 that she had resubmitted her nomination with double the number of signatures required.

“Today I submitted additional NEC requirements including 120 signatures from 11 districts. Which brings the total number of signatures collected and submitted to 1,105 (almost double the NEC requirement of 600),” she tweeted.

Today I submitted additional NEC requirements including 120 signatures from 11 districts.

— Diane Rwigara (@ShimaRwigara) July 5, 2017

Which brings the total number of signatures collected and submitted to 1,105 (almost double the NEC requirement of 600).

— Diane Rwigara (@ShimaRwigara) July 5, 2017

She is required to provide at least 12 signatures from each of the 30 districts in Rwanda.

“I am looking forward to fairly and justly being on the final list of presidential candidates this Friday, July 6th [sic] 2017,” she added, including the mistake in date as Friday is July 7.

I am looking forward to fairly and justly being on the final list of presidential candidates this Friday July 6th 2017.

— Diane Rwigara (@ShimaRwigara) July 5, 2017

Incumbent President Paul Kagame of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and main opposition leader Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda were confirmed last week by the NEC.

Electoral campaigns will start Friday, July 14, followed by the elections on August 3 in the diaspora and August 4 in Rwanda.