Frank Habineza was nominated, unopposed, by about 200 party members at a congress held in Kigali on Saturday. He is expected to face President Paul Kagame, who won a third term in 2017 with nearly 99 percent of the vote.
The government decided in March to synchronize the dates of parliamentary and presidential elections, which are due to be held in August 2024. Several opposition parties - including the United Democratic Forces (UDF) - are not officially recognized and cannot participate in Rwanda's elections.