Rwandans approve constitution change extending presidential term limits

KIGALI: Rwandans voted overwhelmingly to support changes to the constitution that would allow President Paul Kagame to extend his term in office, possibly until 2034, provisional results by the electoral commission showed on Saturday.

Kagame would be able to run again in 2017 after his second term ends. Kagame, 58, has been president since 2000 but effectively in control since his rebel force marched into Kigali in 1994 to end a genocide.

"The electoral commission declares in public that 98.3 percent of voting Rwandans accepted the constitution as amended in 2015," National Electoral Commission chairman Kalisa Mbanda told a news conference after Friday's vote.

The number of those who voted in favour of the changes was 6.16 million. The commission released some partial results late on Friday and final results are expected on Monday.