Burundi opposition coalition accuses election body over 'exclusion'

With just weeks before the general elections in Burundi, some opposition political parties are accusing the Election Commission of ploy to eliminate them from the presidential, parliamentary and local polls.

Particularly, the commission rejected lists from certain groups in what is seen as a violation of its mission. Kira-Burundi is one of those crying foul

Aloys Baricako, head of the Kira Burundi coalition said: “Unfortunately, it is clear that this prescribed law is being seriously violated by the CENI through its cascade rejection of the files of the candidates of the Kira Burundi coalition at the level of the presidential, legislative and municipal elections with a deliberate desire to exclude this coalition from the electoral process.”

But the Independent Electoral Commission, CENI, denies the accusation, explaining that discarded political parties can always appeal to the Constitutional Court as encouragement for stakeholders to continue to comply with the law to ensure peaceful elections.

Kawahise Claver is head of the election body: “The CENI also wishes to remind especially the accepted candidates that the electoral campaign has not yet come. It is already known.

“By the electoral calendar, this electoral campaign will be opened by a presidential decree. We therefore invite the candidates not to not go beyond the law, those who engage in the premature campaign against the law would face the rigor of this same law.”

More than 5 million Burundians are registered to vote, in the general elections scheduled for May 20 in which president Pierre Nkurunziza will not be a candidate.