malcolm webb sends this report. >> talks in entebb enches can the european union union asked hymn to mediate the crisis, when president pierre nkurunziza announced his intention to extend his ten year rule in burundi. >> i encourage the two sides to sit down and have a political solution. >> reporter: activists in opposition says nkurunziza bid for reelection was against the 2006 peace deal that ended 13 years of civil war. they took to the streets earlier this year. but the crack down was violent. since then police have been accused of dozens of extra judicial killings and the armed opposition is accused of provoking military fights. presidential palace in entebbe, within weeks they are due to be moved to jerusha. a number of conditions just for coming to the negotiating table. government delegates have said they are not willing to negotiate with people involved in a failed coup attempted in may. >> they tell you they were not nonviolent when they were not. they continue to use weapons, killing grenades, rockets, this kind of way to is a no to say no something. >> deny they are conn

our reporter malcolm webb, what do you know? >> 87 people were killed. early friday morning they were attacked by armed men. the police say they have arrested members of an unnamed group. on friday evening police and security forces came around residential areas, people who were protesting they say that police came in people's houses, drove them out in the streets and shot them. they say this is happening to dozens of people, people who are shot in what appears to be execution tile killing. the only people killed were the attackers. and it seems that the government is very much trying to play this down. they're very much trying to put out the image that it's business as usual. but many don't see it like that, they see it as an escalating situation that is slipping rapidly into civil war. >> malcolm webb with those eyewitness reports. malcolm, thank you. still ahead in the program we'll tell you how two historic trade deals take place with india and japan. >> we'll tell you about the protection of syria. research. >> are you ready to have your brain scann

as malcolm webb reports the view is not shared by all. ♪ >> reporter: the president hasn't said yet ifntial election in 2017. almost everyone here says they want him to. he has been president since 2000. but effectively in power since his rebel group took control in 1994. and the referendum is a chance to give rwandan's an opportunity. >> this is an opportunity to observe firsthand important matters, in our country, rwanda, that is transparently, inclusively, and respectfully. >> reporter: most of the people who speak are full of praise. >> translator: we have agreed that only you, should continue to lead us, so that we can remain on the course that we have been on. >> reporter: the whole event is extremely well planned and choreographed. this temporary structure has been put up, especially the security, typically rwanda is very well organized and the staff very disciplined. and there are video links connecting this video with other videos all over the country. this man speaking from a rural district says he is grateful for the president bringing stability after the genocide. >> transl

malcolm webb reports on what eyewitnesses have told him. >> reporter: residents say it's people wearing police uniforms of a nut called api, which is local to the provides that came into some residential neighborhoods, which have been hotbeds against protests of the president ever since april when he announced he wanted to run. he got that in july in the disputed election. there were attacks in nearby areas on military bases by what we believe to be rebels who were trying to take arms. they say the only people killed were attackers of the military camps. >> malcolm webb is report thering. there's plenty more ahead on jazic. alibaba buys the oldest english newspaper raising questions over press freedom. >>> many killed in afghanistan's capital. >>> here's a quick rundown on the top stories on al jazeera right now. the french foreign minister has presented what he calls an ambitious global agreement at the u.n. climate talks in paris. delegates from 195 nations now need to give their approval. more than 40 people have reportedly been found shot dead in burundi. the discovery was made 24 h

joining us now on the phone from uganda is our reporter malcolm webb. he has covered burundi extensively, malcolm, what did these eyewitnesses tell you? >> apologizes. we seem to be having trouble with that line with malcolm webb. he was going to tell us about those 87 people being killed in violence. we'll try to get the line up to malcolm webb as soon as we can. in the meantime let's take a look at some of the day's other news. going to switzerland where the police say they've arrested two people of syrian origin on suspicion of making and transporting explosives. the two individuals have allegedly have contact with is isil. one of the suspects had a huge number of weapons. we're back in the studio with more on is this story. what else do we know? >> the swiss prosecutor has given us a bit more detail of those two syrians arrested in the geneva area on a road linking switzerland and france. they were carrying genuine syrian passports. they spoke arabic. they didn't speak french. they claimed to have just arrived in geneva, and they claim to have hired

but as malcolm webb reports it's not a view shared by all. >> reporter: the president hasn't said yetext presidential election in 2017. almost everyone here at the national dialogue event says they want him to. he's been president since 2000. but effectively in power since his rebel group took power in 1994. it is meant to give hundreds a chance to air their views. >> this is an opportunity to observe how important matters are handled in our country. rwanda. that is inning clues i feel, transparently and ref. i. >> reporter: most orespectfully. >> reporter: most the people are full of praise. >> translator: we agree that only you should lead us, that we should remain on the course that we have been on. >> reporter: the whole vent is extremely well planned and choreographed. this temporary structure has been put up specially for security typically for rwanda is very well organized and the staffer are very disciplined. there is even video links connecting this venue here with other venture eyes all over the country. this than speak from a rural district is great of the for the that bill

malcolm webb, al jazeera, kampala. piracy is a real threat in southeast asia that's having repercussions around the world. and later, researchers are saying melting glaciers are affecting the rotation of the earth. impoverished setting had a major impact. >> but with looks, charm... >> i just wanted to take care of my mom. >> and no remorse... >> she giggles every time she steps into the revolving door of justice. >> she became legendary. >> the finer the store, the bigger the challenge. >> in context tonight. piracy and where it's on the rise. pirates off the coast of somalia have made impact. but off of east africa has dropped to almost zero. this year more than 60% of the world's sea crimes have taken place in southeast asia and surrounding waters, compared to 22% in 2010. unlike somali pirates, these pirates capture ships for oil. communications equipment and sometimes abusing crews, the boats are released. pirates have attacked 124 ships in southeast asia, more than 16,000 tons of oil has been stolen and that was

malcolm webb reports. >> ugandan president welcomed the talks. president pierre nkurunziza announced his bid to extend his ten year rule in april. >> i really appeal to you the two sides to sit down and have a political solution. >> reporter: activists in opposition said nkurunziza' bid for reelection was against the constitution and against a 2006 peace deal that ended 13 years of civil war. so three took to the streets earlier there year. but the crack down was violent. since then, police have been accused of dozens of extra jicialjudicial killings. peace talks first started in july but stalled. presidential palace in entebbe, due to be moved to jarusha. government delegates have said they are not willing to negotiate with people involved in a failed coup attempted in may. >> they need to tell that you they are nonviolent when they were not, last time they continue using weapons, killing, grenades, rockets, this kind of way of saying no to something. >> but the opposition politicians and activists at the talks deny they are connected to any arm

let's go to malcolm webb who has spoke to eyewitnesses in burundi. what's the latest you heard about what happened? >> reporter: residents say it's people wearing police unit in a unit called api which is loyal to the president. they came into some residential neighborhoods, which have been hotbeds of protests against the president ever since april when he announced he wanted to run. he got back in office in july in a disputed election. on friday morning they were attacked in nearby areas on military bases by what we believe to be rebels trying to take military camps and steal arms. residents believe these killings were in response to that, in response to the attacks of rebels on the camps. a police spokesperson denies civilians are targeted or killed. he said the only killed were attackers of the military camps. >> all right. our malcolm webb reporting for us now gathering more information on these killings. stay close. we'll call on you again, malcolm. >>> now to weather with richard. stormy weather coming to us out of the u.s. hi, richard. >> hi,

malcolm webb, al jazeera, uganda. >> zimbabwe's president has warned security services to stay out ofolitics. there have been reports of in-fighting and facialism as rivals position themselves as his successor. we have a report from victoria falls. >> the president says he's disappointed in the party adjusting for who will take over for him. he accused security forces of supporting individuals vying for the top job, a move that may split the party, according to some members. work together. >> that at the annual party conference, officials tried to show at least on the surface there are no serious problems. he is the center of power and people shouldn't talk about replacing him, because he is still in charge -- >> it is not widely known how many factions exist if the ruling party. one group is believed to back one of two vice presidents. another faction is thought played a key role in the former deputy last year. political analyst wonder what plans are in store for his wife. he has so far not said who will one day take over for him. >> discussing the subject of succession, there is nee

malcolm webb reports. ♪ >> reporter: public meetings about the referendum on changing the constitutionbeen impossible to miss. these people say they want the president to stay in power after he finishes his second term. he has been present of rwanda since 2000 since his group took control in 1994. and now politicians say millions of rwandans petitioned them to hold the -- referendum. >> translator: we already have 5 million rwandans supporting the change. >> reporter: we have been told that people are pressured into attending these political meetings. the government say people come freely. and supporters say it is because they want him to stay. >> translator: we asked our members of parliament to change the term limits. >> reporter: for the last ten days, members of parliament and senators have been campaigning hard, not just here in the capitol, but also in towns and villages all over the country, where they have gathered crowds of hundreds of people like this. delivered speeches, sung and danced all in favor of changing the constitution to remove presidential term limits, but there h

malcolm webb, al jazeera, cam pakampala, uganda.ve raising concerns over the paper's future editorial independence. willie lam is former china editor for the newspaper. he joins us live from hong kong. willy lam how significant is this buy? reshaping coverage of its own country. >> definitely. this is part of a well orchestrated plan by the chinese government to boost its soft sided projection around the world. it will be used to project chinese soft power and also sure as ali baba will not be taken through rose tinted lenses. >> are you worried about the paper's future editorial independence? >> well, that is certainly reason for concern. actually, even before the preent acquisition, given ali baba and jack mar himself's close connection, the real possibility that the post will toe the line and beijing's representatives in hong kong. >> interesting poirnt you make because one of ali baba's officials say what's good for china is good for ali baba, on giant and the central government? >> no question about it, ali baba has been a majo

malcolm webb, al jazeera, kigale, rwanda. >>> coming after a short break. clocking off for good britain's last deep coal mine is finally closed, more on that, stay with us th >> welcome back. the top stories here on al jazeera. the u.n. security council has unanimously backed a resolution to help bring an end to the five year conflict in syria, calls for ceasefire and political talks but there are still major differences over the future of syrian president bashar al-assad. >>> rwanda's electoral commission, means president paul kagame could stay in power until 2034. u.s. president barack obama has delivered his final annual address as he enters his final year in office. he promised to close guantanamo bay, step up the war against i.s.i.l. and stop the war in syria. >>> youngest convict in a 20-year-old rape case. calls for harsher penalties for rapists. the ruling has age eshed women's rights activates. >> on the other side we have lawmakers who don't care. so what do we do? what do we people in society do? i think if he is released, we'll go to any extent

more details now from malcolm webb. he has spoken to eyewitnesses in burundi. what have you been able to learn? >> reporter: that's right. residents say yesterday afternoon following the military bases people in police uniforms belonging to a police unit called api came into some of the residential areas in the capi l capital. they said the police were pulling them out of houses, some had hands behind their back and they were shot. most of them were young men and most left on the side of the road. it is believed it is a response to the attacks yesterday which were on the military response which was an attempt to steal weapons from the military. the >>> you're saying the police are denying that anybody was killed? >> reporter: the only people killed were people that were attacking the military barracks yesterday. that contradicts with what local residents are saying and the pictures are on social media shows civilians who have been dot in residential areas >>> thank you for that. lots more coming up. many people were killed in the siege of the diplomatic areas o

let's hear from our man malcolm webb in uganda. >> in the opening session of the talks one of the delegates said that the government would not be willing to negotiate with anyone who was involved in the failed attempted coup in may. people involved in that could you include some opposition meanwhile, th opposition say there was no way they would accept the power of the president. the opposition said that the elections are not valid and there is no way he should be in power for a third term. they want fresh elections, and they say he can't be a part of them. it's difficult to see how these two very different positions are going to be reconciled in the coming weeks. >> many people in burundi as well as in the africa union say that the country could once again see civil war. many people there are saying that the president is stirring up essentials between the one side the tootsi minority and the hutu majority. >> the situation in the country is bad. it is not good. >> the country we do not see what--the president does not want to give that you third term. >> there are some who are using some m

malcolm webb is in e.ntebbe sending an upstairs. >> the government would not be willing to negotiate they said with anyone involved in the failed coup in may. the government said people involved in that coup include some activists that have been trying to inappropriately take power using violence. no way they can accept a third term in power for pierre nkurunziza. there's no way he should be in power for a third term. so they want fresh elections in a safe environment and that means pierre nkurunziza they say can't be a part of them. so it's difficult to see how these two very different positions are going to be reconciled in the coming weeks. >> storms and floods in the united states have killed at least 43 people in recent days. texas has been badly hit with 11 killed over the weekend by tornadoes that left a trail of destruction, the twisters demolished homes blew away cars and cut power lines. scores of people were injured and an estimated 800 homes damaged. the extreme weather is forecast to continue over the next few days. >>> now flooding has forced more than 160,000 people fr

malcolm webb. rwanda >>> china has defended its decision not to renew press credentials for a french journalist. effectively expelling her from the country. ursula gauthier says it is about an article she wrote. she believes they did not read the article. the chinese foreign ministry says ursula gauthier should apologise for her reports. >> translation: first of all, china has kept in contact with all foreign correspondents. i think if the journalist, ursula gauthier, she will apologise voluntarily >>> nor evidence has emerged that a clinic may have illegally prescribing human growth hormones in the u.s. it was a clinic that was featured in a story earlier this week. the clinical was shipping human growth hormone to the wife of american football star peyton manning. debra davies reports. >> reporter: about a decade ago sports columnist was feeling exhausted. as he explained to al jazeera reporter, he went to see dr dale geyer who runs an anti ageing clinic. >> i went because i was dealing with this

malcolm webb reports. >> gunfire and explosions shut down the capitol of burundi on friday morning.nce has intensified over the past few days. militias have ambushed the police and the military, sometimes exchanging gunfire for several hours. the attacks have mostly taken place in areas where there's strong opposition to the president's third term in power. in this suburb, residents say men in police uniforms shot and killed five of their neighbors. witnesses say the victims were taken from their homes, marched to the street, and executed at point-blank range. >> translator: the police entered and took my mobile phone, they broke down the door and found this man in there, they carried him to the road and shot him. >> reporter: police say they have been conducting house-to-house searches looking for illegal weapons. unrest began in april when the president announced he would seek a third term in power. it's disputed whether or not the constitution allows it, and critics say a third five-year term violates the peace agreement that ended burundi's 12-year civil war and put the presiden

malcolm webb has covered burundi extensively.oned in this update for us from uganda. >> friday morning, members of an unnamed group attacked military bases, three military bases. their objective seems to take we hopes to steal we hopes. a press conference, they said they fought them off and killed 79 of them and captured 45. what we have heard from residents in certain areas where there is a lot of opposition to the president and opposition to his first term in power to which he was elected and a future election in july. friday afternoon, friday night, they say members of a police unit known to be loyal to the president and of the president guard went to the people's houses, pulled people out of their houses and shot them in the street. some of them had their arms tied together. others not. they are mostly young men, the people that residents say were killed. the army spoekdz man didn't agree to comment on this in the press conference. that's what we were told. the government is trying to play everything down as much as thing. th

malcolm webb reports now from the capital. >> reporter: the results of the controversial referendum were exactly as expected. people at this preplanned event in the capital celebrated the total from each district was announced by the commission. in all districts it is said nearly 100% of people voted in favor of changing the constitution and its presidential term limits. he has been president since 200 but effectively in power since his rebel group ended the gen tied and took control in 1994. the changes mean he can run again in luxs in 2017 and could stay in power until 2034. >> you want to be president for longer and they will be a disaster. >> i don't want. what is happening is people's choice. is the people why they want. >> reporter: since the referendum was announced just ten days ago, politicians have been urging support for the changes. we've been told that people were pressured into attending rallies but it is said they came freely. >> translation: we asked our members of parliament to change the term limits because they were an obstacle to us re-electing the president. >> repor

malcolm webb joins us live from the ugandan capital. take us through what's on the table, what's up for discussion. >> today was just an opening session and before discussing any terms of any kind of deal, the first thing on the agenda to be discussed is when they'll actually start discussing and that probably won't be for two weeks from now in neighboring tanner. >>. it doesn't look like there's going to be any quick progress. on top of that, delegates from both the government and opposition side spoke in today's opening session. it seems relations as expected aren't at all warm between them. one government representative said they are not willing to negotiate with anyone who was involved in any violent attempt to overthrow the government. by that, they mean people involved in the failed attempted coup back in may when an army officer tried to overthrow the president and failed. meanwhile, the opposition delegation is saying that it's imperative that the president doesn't do a third term in power and refute the election boycotted by th

malcolm webb, al jazeera, rwanda. >>> nigerian government says it's ready to negotiate with boko haram 200 school girls missing for more than a year. but the president says talks will only happen if what he calls credible leaders of the armed group are identified. the girls remember taken from their determine stories from the area of which i book in april of last year. video the them in captivity surfaced after they were taken a but no evidence recently has surfaced to show whether or not they are still alive. >>> in iraq fighting still continues in rah made. the government claims control of central parts on sunday but isil is entrenched in certain districts. now the prime minister is promising to turn his attention to mosul which was taken by isil last year. hundreds of thousands are estimated to have been displaced from the country's second largest city. many belongs to minority communities. we want a report from you are f. >> reporter: his holidays haven't been the same since he lost his arms from nba a bar bomb. it's hard he said to write with his other arm. his family had to he ha

malcolm webb, al jazeera, rwanda. >>> the downtown music hub in johannesburg is a haven for upcomingoirs and songwriters. this is a government innovation that offers a world class recording studio at affordable prices, being used by stars of out south african music scene for generations as town a page reports. >> reporter: this is music, a kind of zulu folk. it's one of the most popular genres in south africa. christopher works in a factory at night, but during the day he indulges his passion at the downtown music hub. it's owned by the government, and su is one of the best recorg studios in the country. >> i to bring my voice to the people, when persons listen to me singing, you hear me proper because now as we working with these guys i am working with the professional people today. >> reporter: the building which is home to the music hub has been associated with the music industry since the 1970s. the government bought it seven years ago with the idea of making world class recording facilities accessible to the general public. and at a cheap price. the renovations report quite fini

malcolm webb reports now from uganda. >> in the opening session of the talks the government would notbe willing to negotiate with anyone who was involved in the failed attempted coup in may. the government said people involved in that opposition to gain power. the opposition said there was no way they would accept power from the president. he was elected in july after the opposition boycotted and said that the election is not valid and there is no way he should be in power for a third term. they want safe environment and they say the president cannot be part of it. they say it's difficult to see how these two very different positions are going to be reconciled in the coming weeks. >> now many in burundi as well as the african union worry that the country could slip into civil war once again. many citizens say that there is the stirring of tensions between the tutcy minority and the hutu majority. >> we wake up and found some bodies. i'm very shocked. >> they don't want to give up that third term. there are some who driver the message, but i don't think that it will lead to genocide. e

malcolm webb in entebbe sent us this. >> one of the government said, include some opposition and activists and they have been trying to illegitimately take power. the opposition says there's no way they will accept a third term of power for pierre nkurunziza. the opposition say the elections aren't valued an valid and no we should be in power for a third term. they want a safe environment and that means pierre nkurunziza can't be a part of them. difficult to see how these two very different positions are going to be reconciled in the coming weeks. >>> the leader of spain's leftist podemos power, pablo iglesias, told them his party would not become part of a coalition led by the conservative people's parties. failed to get a parliamentary majority. the coalition options are dwindling after the main opposition socialist party also ruled him out. >>> the european union's border agency frontex is stepping up its efforts to process the massive number of immigrants still arriving at the greek islands. among them will be experts in security screening, fingerprinting. omar al saleh gives this repo

malcolm webb has traveled to the east of the country to see what impact current trade policies have onhere. >> reporter: after nearly a year of carefully attending the cotton plants, philip will make about $300 from this field. most farmers here in this country in kenya have stopped growing it. it's a lot of effort for little money. >> every day you have to go to the [ inaudible ] to see if [ inaudible ] and have come to destroy your plants. >> reporter: he sells the cotton for processing in a nearby town. eventually it will be woven into cloth, and it's almost entirely for the kennian market. the managers here say it's only operating at about 10% of its full capacity. governments of developing countries, including kenya's say unfair protectionist policies in rich countries prevent them from exporting agricultural products like cotton. and that hinders development. the u.s. is the world's largest cotton exporter, and it is subsidized by the government. it has been a contentious issue at trade summits for the last 14 years. member states have never reached an agreement. at the nairobi c

they hope that diplomatic efforts will help restore order >>> malcolm webb following the story from uganda's capital. >> reporter: the army spokesman didn't agree to comment on this in the press conference and the government has been trying to play everything down as much as they can. today they organized what they called a march for peace with dozens of government supporterss with police marring through the streets. the government is trying to give the impression that it's business as usual, but the u.n., the u.s. and other key international players don't agree with that. they don't see it the same way and they keep expressing concern about what they think is escalating violence that could soon be a return to civil war >>> the yemeni government and houthi rebels have agreed to a seven day cease fire starting on monday on the eve of peace talks due to take place in sitser land. in march-- switzer land. >> translation: we managed to pave the way for the turn point document as will add the 7 point document. the message sent to the united nations is now solid ground for political dialogue >>> t

malcolm webb, al jazeera, entebbe, uganda. >> storms in the united states have killed at least 43 people in the past few days. some areas in texas were hit by a strong snow blizzard as temperatures dropped and the extreme weather is forecast to continue over the next few days. more than 160,000 people have been displaced by flooding in south america, it's prompted argentina's new president to warn that the country needs to be ready to fight climate change. teresa vo traveled to argentina where thousands have lost everything. >> reporter: on a boat on the streets of concordia, trying the make it back to the house he left, to escape the flooding. >> this was my mother's house my brother's house, everything is under water. >> reporter: concordia is located in the province of enterios but the flooding is not just happening here, but also in paraguay, uruguay and brazil. scientists fear these may lead to the worst effects in 15 years. >> i've lost everything. so angry so frustrated. i work every day to try get something but then this happens and everything is gone. >> the citizens say this ar

more details from malcolm webb who is there. you've spoken to eyewitnesses in burundi. what have they told you? >> reporter: the bodies of dozens of civilians have been found shot dead on the sheets in the capital, most of them shot at close range, some of them left on the streets, others in gutters. most of them are young men. it is not known who did this, but one person told me it's the presidential of the police, but we haven't been able to speak to the government to get their version of events >>> how worrying is this situation in burundi. is there a sense that this could escalate and spiral out of control? >> reporter: yes. things have certainly escalated since the protests began in april this year, against the president in his bid to stay in power for a third term. in the election in july he got that third term and what was protesting turned into violence with militia attacking the military and a lot of shootings throughout the capital on an almost daily basis. there are >>> thank you for that update from uganda. we were being told about the reports that we have b

malcolm webb, rwanda >>> the nigerian government says its initial deadline of 31 december to over come boko haram has largely been met despite continued attacks blamed on boko haram the government says it is close to defeating the armed group. the army has been seizing territory from the fighters. a report on how improved security in the region is slowly bringing life back to normal. >> reporter: cashing in on the relative peace, supplies to liberated areas to north-east nigeria. this is a busy mub. >> there are serious-- hub. >> there are serious improvement. people are buying goods. >> reporter: some of the goods he sells end up in the hands of retailers of the market. boko haram's attack at this market has decreased. the last one was four months ago. customers are slowing coming back. there is a long way to go to repair the impact of the violence. >> it used to be the major place for the freight. it has impacted negatively, such that it has eroded the economy base of our community by as much as 90%. >> reporter: it could be the case before the region finds its seat again, as infrast

our reporter malcolm webb sent this update from the capital. >> reporter: the electoral commission saidf voters voted yes to change the constitution, to change its presidential term limits. they also said in what must be an unusual coincidence of polling statistics, that the voter turn out was also 98.3%. critics of which there are few here, there were very few people here in rwandan who criticize official government lines, those from other countries opposition and activists say the polling rates are not credible. they are always in the high 90s and they say there isn't a free and fair environment to conduct conducive polls because people are streeting in a climbed of fear. a short while ago in a president conference they said it was a free and true election of the will. because they want to keep the president in power after 2017. >>> the u.n. special envoy to syria says he will send out talks to january on the u.n.-backed peace plan for the country. on friday the united nations security council unanimously backed a plan for talks between the syrian government and the opposition with a

our reporter malcolm webb has recovered burundi extensively.ed in report from uganda. >> reporter: early friday morning members of an unnamed group attacked military bases, three military bases and their operative seemed to be to take weapon to his steal weapons. in a press conference this afternoon, the army spokesman said they successfully fought them off and said they killed 79 of them and captured 45. now separately to this what we have in residents in certain areas where there is lots of opposition to the president and opposition to his third term in power to which he he was elected in an election in july. in these areas friday afternoon and friday night they say members of a police unit known to be loyal to the president and the presidential guard went in to people's houses, pulled people out of their houses and shot them in the streets. some of them had their [ inaudible ] fight together. others not. it was mostly young men that the people say were killed. the army spokesman didn't agree to comment on this in the press conference, that's

michael webb is live for us. malcolm, 98.3% yes vote, which seems high. is that credible and will people believe it? >> reporter: people in rwanda probably will. it is very unusual here to find anyone openly questioning official government on anything. the voter turn out was exactly the same figure, 98.3%. rwandan opposition and critics will be questioning the results. they say it is not a conducive environment for free and fair elections or referendum as it was in this case because it is a climate of intimidation and fear and that people can't freely express their will, but the commissioner in a press conference was asked about this and denied it. he said it was a free and fair election and it was a free expression of the people's will because they want the president in power >>> what's next? >> reporter: the president himself hasn't said yet openly if he wants to run again in 2017 for another term, and what he indicated was he wanted to wait for this referendum so he could engage the political-- gauge the political will. in the coming days or weeks or m