Pierre Nkurunziza vows no surrender as opposition rejects poll team

BUJUMBURA

Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza will not abandon his bid for a third-term even as new election dates were announced.

Government spokesman Philippe Nzobonariba declared in a radio broadcast on Tuesday that the President’s decision was ‘’non-non negotiable’’.

The hardline pronouncement came just a day after the Burundi national electoral commission fixed the new dates for the parliamentary and the presidential elections.

The Commission’s boss said the presidential election will take place on July 15 after the parliamentary polls are held on June 26.

We need the engagement of all the stakeholders as the elections are desirable to all Burundians, said the CENI chairman, Mr 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 and government emergency summit on Burundi.

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

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

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.

REACHED A CLIMAX

Burundi has experienced unrest since April 26 when the ruling 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 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.

The Burundi independent electoral commission comprises five members, three from the Hutu community and two from the Tutsi group.

It is also required by law to observe gender balance. Currently, however, CENI’s remaining three officials are all from the Hutu majority and are all men.

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.

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