KIGALI -- Rwanda's incumbent President Paul Kagame of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) won the presidential election held on July 15 with 99.18 percent of the vote, according to the final results released Monday by the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

His challengers, Frank Habineza of the opposition Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate, garnered 0.50 percent and 0.32 percent, respectively, of the vote.

The RPF and its coalition also won 37 seats of the parliament's 53 seats representing political parties and independent candidates, the results showed.

The opposition Liberal Party led by Donatille Mukabalisa, the outgoing Speaker of Parliament and the Social Democratic Party led by former Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta got five seats each.

Other parties, including the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, the Ideal Democratic Party and the PS Imberakuri that fielded parliamentary candidates, got two seats each, according to the final results.

About 9 million voters took part in the elections on July 15.

A total of 589 candidates contested for the 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the bicameral national legislature of Rwanda.

Besides representatives from political parties, other lawmakers come from special groups (youth, women, and people with disabilities).

"We would like to thank all Rwandans for their active role in organizing and participating in the elections both in the country and abroad," the NEC extends its gratitude to all involved.

"In particular we would wish to express our appreciation to the political parties and independent candidates for their exemplary conduct throughout the election period," the NEC said in a statement.

At the cocktail reception to thank key contributors to the successful RPF presidential campaign on Sunday night in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, Kagame said: "For our friends, we are very good friends, you should rely on us. We won't disappoint our friends. For our adversaries, for those who don't wish us well, we will always extend a hand of cooperation. We will always show them that we can work together..."

"When we start with our strengths and work together with our friends and partners, we achieve a lot. In our culture as the RPF, we do not become complacent. We work very well with those who are willing," he said.

Kagame, 66, assumed power in 2000. He is credited with spearheading the country's liberation war of the then Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA), an army wing of RPF which ended the 1994 100-day genocide against the Tutsi, an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region, fostering unity and peace restoration in the country. About 1 million people were killed in the genocide.

Kagame won the 2017 election for a third term with more than 98 percent of the vote.