Rwandan constitutional referendum, 1978
Encyclopedia
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 Revolutionary Movement for Development the sole legal party. It was approved by 89.9% of voters.
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 17 December 1978. It followed a coup by 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...
in 1973 and the dissolution of the former sole legal party, MDR-Parmehutu
Parmehutu
Parmehutu , also known as MDR-Parmehutu is a now-defunct political party of Rwanda and Burundi.It was founded by Grégoire Kayibanda as a political party of moderate Hutu...
. The new constitution created a presidential republic with no term limits for the President, and made the National Revolutionary Movement for Development the sole legal party. It was approved by 89.9% of voters.
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 89.9 | |
| Against | 10.1 | |
| Total | 100 | |
| Source: African Elections Database | ||