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Burundi electoral body picks new poll dates

Tuesday June 09 2015
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A woman sorts through cards ready to be collected by registered voters in Bujumbura on June 2, 2015. The national independent electoral commission (CENI) wants the presidential election to take place on July 15 after parliamentary polls are held on June 26. AFP PHOTO | CARL DE SOUZA

Burundi’s electoral body has proposed new election dates even as the opposition questions its legitimacy.

The national independent electoral commission (CENI) wants the presidential election to take place on July 15 after parliamentary polls are held on June 26.

“We need the engagement of all the stakeholders as the elections are desirable to all Burundians,” said CENI chairman Pierre Claver Ndayicariye.

Mr Ndayicariye said CENI needed all the political formations to agree on the election dates, to contribute to peace and stability in the country.

He pointed out that the electoral commission had proposed the dates in accordance with a recommendation by the East African Community heads of state emergency summit on Burundi.

The EAC leaders, who met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania last month, proposed that the Burundi elections be postponed for at least 45 days.

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The May 31 meeting was a continuation of another one held on May 13, which aborted after a former army boss, Maj-Gen Godefroid Niyombare, announced a coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza.

READ: EAC urges Burundi election delay, halt to violence

President Nkurunziza had to delay his return home from Tanzania till after the coup was crushed.

The Burundi parliamentary and presidential elections were earlier scheduled for June 5 and June 26 respectively.

Burundi has experienced unrest since April 26 when the ruling party CNDD-FDD nominated President Nkurunziza as its flag bearer.

The protests against President Nkuruziza's third term bid reached a climax on May 13 with the coup bid.

The president is completing his second five-year term and his bid for the extension of his rule is considered by the opposition as unconstitutional and going against the Arusha Accord that ended Burundi's protracted civil war.

“The summit asked CENI to reschedule the elections so we have integrated it within 30 days and we need to work together with the stakeholders since time is against us,” said Mr Ndayicariye.

However, some opposition leaders who boycotted the CENI meeting that made the decision, said the agency had lost the legitimacy to preside of the elections.

“We don’t have an electoral commission for now,'' said Mr Jean Minani, the chairman of FRODEBU Nyakuri.

"CENI now can’t take decisions since it doesn’t meet the quorum. The vice-chairman and the director of finance and administration are yet to be replaced, so whatever they do is unconstitutional,” Mr Minani.

Two CENI officials recently fled to the neighbouring Rwanda in fear for their security and concern that the current environment was not favourable for free and fair elections. CENI, which comprises of five members, now has three officials.

READ: Burundi crisis: Electoral body lacks quorum, funds to hold polls

The Burundi government has promised to disarm the armed groupings allied to the various political formations, as recommended by the EAC summit.

“We call on the opposition and the civil society organisations to collaborate in the disarmament of the political affiliated youths as it was raised as a major concern to the country’s security ahead of the polls,” Burundi Internal Affairs minister Edward Nduwimana.

READ: Burundi opposition candidate calls for deployment of EA standby force

Mr Nduwimana said that the government, together with the opposition, would replace the two CENI officials who resigned last month.

However the Secretary-General of the Movement for Solidarity and Democracy (MSD) party, Mr Francois Nyamoya, said his party members were being arrested for unclear reasons for the past two weeks.

“They are arresting our party members, so how can we prepare for the elections when the environment is not free and fair for the opposition leaders?” he asked.

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