Burundian rivals reject Nkurunziza’s re-election

Nkurunziza's clenched fists: Perhaps Going for broke

Burundian opposition parties have rejected results that gave Pierre Nkurunziza a third controversial mandate, which opponents say is illegal.

The opposition parties, which boycotted presidential elections, want a new vote held that gives politicians outside the ruling party the room to campaign freely, said Frederic Bamvuginyumvira, a spokesman for a group of 10 opposition parties, in a phone interview on Friday.

“The elections weren’t credible or fair,” Bamvuginyumvira said. “We are going to continue our political struggle until new elections are organised.” He declined to specify the plans.

Nkurunziza’s decision in April to stand again triggered a public backlash and an attempted military coup, which was quickly extinguished.

Opponents say Nkurunziza, 51, is violating a two-term limit set out in 2005 peace accords that ended a 12-year civil war. Supporters argue that his first term doesn’t count because he was chosen by parliament rather than by popular vote.

The ruling CNDD-FDD has been clear that Nkurunziza plans to serve out his entire five-year term and any proposal to form a unity government would rely on the parties devising a compromise, Yolande Bouka, a Burundi researcher for the Institute for Security Studies, said in a phone interview.

Breaking point

Rifts in the army have the potential for rising conflict, Bouka said. The country’s ex-intelligence chief, Godefroid Niyombare, led a group of military officers in the failed coup in May, calling for a political dialog.

“Should these divisions worsen and reach their breaking point, then elements of the armed forces sympathetic to the armed opposition could provide the capital necessary to make an armed rebellion viable,” she said.

Regional efforts led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to mediate between the government and opposition groups to end the political crisis broke down before the elections on July 21.

Agathon Rwasa, an opposition leader who joined other opponents in withdrawing his candidacy to protest a lack of freedom to campaign, came second with 19% of the vote against Nkurunziza’s 69.4%. Even after candidates pulled out of the race, their names appeared on the ballot.

The East African nation’s Constitutional Court is expected to review the tally and confirm the final election results within nine days.