Peaceful elections in Burundi are a relatively new phenomena for this country that has been more used in its post-Independence history to military dictatorships and civil war.

In 1993, three months after democratic elections were held, the duly elected president was assassinated.

In 2005, the elections proceeded in relative calm and the former rebel group CNDD-FDD came into power supported by the strong desire of the population to leave conflict to the past.

In 2010, the process that will last until September is just starting and it is not clear where it is moving.
On May 25, Burundians went to the polls, but results have yet to be validated according to the electoral code.

The opposition has refused to accept the results, which the international observers did, but they both agree that due process and the electoral code were not respected fully.

The party in power, the CNDD-FDD, which has won the majority of the vote, is happy with the results of the elections.

Two weeks after the launching of the first of a series of five elections in Burundi, the country is still in an impasse.

The 13 opposition parties say there is evidence of fraud and lack of respect for the electoral code, but the EU observers say the process was acceptable.

COSOME, a local civil society group of observers, initially said the elections were relatively well managed, but now says that their figures do not match those of the electoral commission.

Despite the different conclusions, the different parties — including the electoral commission — do all agree on certain aspects and share concern over some of the irregularities.
The different stakeholders are in agreement that the logistics around the elections could have been improved. The EU team said that the fact that the elections were postponed at the last minute was not up to international standards.

There were more concerns about the actual logistics, and given the small size of the country and the time allowed to prepare, it is surprising that there were so many logistical problems.

The EU raised concern over rumours fuelled by political parties of stockpiles of arms and threats of violence if the elections did not go in favour of one party or the other. They also cite the lack of neutrality of one radio station.