After months of conflict and over 70 deaths – the latest being three people killed in gunfire and grenade blast on Saturday 28^th June, the elections are happening amidst international and local critism. Pie Ntavyohanyuma spoke to France 24 “For the moment, I am forced to stay in Brussels… I stayed here given the difficulties in my country, difficulties which are due to the illegal third mandate of the president,” He told the agency “I would like to say to him [Nkurunziza] that the mandate he wants to have is illegal. I would like to say to him that forcing through the election is senseless.” “I personally advised President Nkurunziza to drop his plan for a third term, but his answer was to threaten me, to humiliate me,” he added.

The African Union announced Sunday it would not act as an observer in the parliamentary polls, “Noting that the necessary conditions are not met for the organisation of free, fair, transparent and credible elections… the AU Commission will not observe the local and parliamentary elections,” commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in a statement.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concerns about the Government’s insistence on going ahead with elections on 29 June despite the prevailing political and security environment in the country and he had previously called for the elections to be delayed. A statement issued on Sunday read “The Secretary-General reiterates his appeal to all Burundian political leaders to consider the wider interest of the people of their country and to resolve political issues through dialogue in order to preserve peace and strengthen national reconciliation. Condemning recent attacks reported in the country, he appeals to all Burundians to refrain from violent acts, in line with the Charter of Non-Violence agreed by all parties.”

As opposition declared a boycott of the elections, the election commission chief Pierre-Claver Ndayicariye told reporters “Everything is ready in the country,” Sunday, saying all voting material had been delivered to the polling centres across the country.

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In a joint communiqué issued at the end of an emergency summit on the Burundi situation held at State House in Dar es Salaam, their excellencies President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the Republic of Uganda, President Uhuru Kenyatta of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Alain Nyamitwe, Minister of External and International Cooperation representing the Republic of Burundi and Hon. Valentine Rugwabiza, Minister for East African Community, representing the Republic of Rwanda, agreed that during the postponement, members led by the Chairperson will consult with stakeholders in Burundi on the way forward.

The summit called on all parties to stop the violence and exercise restraint during this period and for the urgent disarmament of all armed youth groups allied to political parties. The leaders encouraged the government in Burundi to create a conducive environment for the return of refugees to Burundi and directed the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EAC partner states and the Republic of South Africa to urgently communicate these and other decisions to the government in Burundi.

The summit was also attended by South African President Jacob Zuma, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dlamini Zuma and the United Nations Secretary General’s Special envoy for the Great Lakes Region Saidi Djinnit among other officials. The leaders expressed sympathy with the people of Burundi following the violence that resulted in the death of many people, influx of refugees to neighbouring countries, destruction of property and paralyzing business in some parts of the country.

After the summit, the leaders were hosted to a luncheon by President Jakaya Kikwete. Later, President Yoweri Museveni held a bilateral meeting with the host and Chairman of EAC President Jakaya Kikwete. The President then left for the Kenya Capital, Nairobi to be part of celebrations to mark Madaraka day at the invitation of President Uhuru Kenyatta. He was seen off at the Julius Nyerere International Airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tanzania Hon. Bernard Membe.

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