Rwandan presidential election, 1978
Encyclopedia
Presidential elections were held in Rwanda
on 24 December 1978, a week after the country's new constitution was approved in a referendum
. The constitution had made the country a one-party state with the National Revolutionary Movement for Development the sole legal party. Its leader, incumbent President Juvénal Habyarimana
, who had taken power in a coup in 1973, was the only candidate. The results showed 99% of votes in favour of his candidacy.
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
on 24 December 1978, a week after the country's new constitution was approved in a referendum
Rwandan constitutional referendum, 1978
A constitutional referendum was held in Rwanda on 17 December 1978. It followed a coup by Juvénal Habyarimana in 1973 and the dissolution of the former sole legal party, MDR-Parmehutu. The new constitution created a presidential republic with no term limits for the President, and made the National...
. The constitution had made the country a one-party state with the National Revolutionary Movement for Development the sole legal party. Its leader, incumbent President Juvénal Habyarimana
Juvénal Habyarimana
Juvénal Habyarimana was the third President of the Republic of Rwanda, the post he held longer than any other president to date, from 1973 until 1994. During his 20-year rule he favored his own ethnic group, the Hutus, and supported the Hutu majority in neighboring Burundi against the Tutsi...
, who had taken power in a coup in 1973, was the only candidate. The results showed 99% of votes in favour of his candidacy.
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 99 | |
| Against | 1 | |
| Total | 100 | |
| Source: African Elections Database | ||