Polls open in Rwanda's presidential election

Kigali, 09 Aug-(ANA)-Rwandans are voting to elect their president, with incumbent Paul Kagame expected to win by a landslide.

Mr Kagame's supporters say he has brought both stability and steady economic growth since the country's genocide in 1994.

His critics accuse him of suppressing opposition and undermining democracy.

This is only the second presidential election since 1994, and five million Rwandans are registered to vote.

Mr Kagame won the election in 2003 with 95% of the vote.

Mr Kagame faces three rivals in the election, all with links to the president's all-powerful Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

This has led some opponents to denounce the election as a charade.

But as he completed campaigning, Mr Kagame told critics among rights groups and the international community they should "not tell us how to shape our country".

The Electoral Commission has accredited 1,394 observers, 214 of them from abroad, including from the African Union and Commonwealth. (ANA)

FA/ANA/09 August 2010--------