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News > World

Burundi Goes to Presidential Polls as Violence Continues

  • Residents line up prior to casting their vote in the village of Buye, the hometown of Burundi's president in Ngozi province, northern Burundi, on July 21, 2015.

    Residents line up prior to casting their vote in the village of Buye, the hometown of Burundi's president in Ngozi province, northern Burundi, on July 21, 2015. | Photo: AFP

Published 21 July 2015
Opinion

Two people, a policemen and a civilian, were killed in several blasts and gunfire hours before polls open for the presidential elections.

Presidential polls opened in Burundi Tuesday amid overnight explosions and gunfights across the country, as incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza is expected to secure a controversial third term in office.

Two people, a police officer and a civilian, were killed in hours before the polls opened. The country has seen months of unrest and protests over the president's bid for re-election, which opponents say is unconstitutional. Nkurunziza came to power in 2005, after a 13-year civil war in the country.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged calm, calling on all sides to "refrain from any acts of violence that could compromise the stability of Burundi and the region."

More than 3 million people are eligible to vote, which has been boycotted by the opposition and activists.

Nkurunziza's CNDD-FDD party secured a landslide win in the parliamentary polls on June 29, which were also boycotted by the opposition and by several monitoring groups including European Union observers.

His bid for election was reviewed by the constitutional court which ruled that he had the right to run. The court agreed with president's argument that his first term was voted on by the parliament and not by a public vote, a requirement in the constitution for the presidential vote.

However, several judges on the court fled the country and told reporters that the court was under pressure to issue a ruling in favor of the president's bid.

Back in May, the country saw a failed coup attempt against Nkurunziza which ended with the arrest of most of those involved.

The unrest have seen hundreds killed, including a senior opposition figure, many critical media outlet shut down and a major crackdown on protests by the police and military troops.

More than 150,000 people have fled the country since the beginning of the unrest back in April out of fear of a civil war comeback. The last ethnically-fueled civil war claimed the lives of more than 300,000 people.

WATCH: The State of the Black Worker & Violence in Burundi

Tags

Burundi Africa Politics War & conflict

AFP-Al Jazeera
by teleSUR / mh-OA-gp
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