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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Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza, lone candidate in elections

There is reported tension in Burundi as the country conducts its much awaited elections on Monday June 28^th. Six candidates from opposition political parties have all pulled out of the elections citing manipulation by president Piere Nkurunziza whom they accuse of rigging the elections before it took place.

Burundi which is just recovering from a bruising civil war has failed to pass the basic test of democracy after all members of other political organizations that were formed from former rebel movements refused to partake in Monday’s elections.

The opposition groups had formed an alliance, but the government headed by Nkurunziza denied the coalition permission to organize and campaign as a group.

It is feared war might be an option for many of these war combatants cum politicians who agreed to work with Nkurunziza after the peace process in Burnding mediated by different African counties especially fellow East Africa Community member states Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

There have already been several grenade blasts, including ten on Sunday, the eve of the voting day. Pierre Channel Ntarabaganyi, the National Police spokesman told the media that the Sunday night grenade blasts included one near the headquarters of the EU election observer mission to Burundi. The situation of affairs has generated a lot of concern especially among EAC member states who have called for calm in Burundi and all efforts to avoid a return to war.

With the polls yielding a result of Nkurunzia winning before the elections took place, it is not clear what the next step will be for other political organizations and for a people of Burundi who have witnesses war after war until the fighting groups agreed to come together and form a government, led by Pieere Nkurunziza who was heading one of the rebel fighting groups.

The youthful Nkurunziza had been largely hailed for leading the coalition of former rebels into a civilian government after the Burundi peace process and but the other players fell out with him and thought to instead work together against him.

By Ultimate Media

The post Tension in Burundi as parties pull out of elections, leaving president Nkurunziza to compete alone first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.