Burundi: numerous voters for a closed-door vote

Text by: RFI Follow

In Burundi, a triple capital ballot is underway this Wednesday, May 20, 2020. Indeed, these voting operations for a presidential, legislative and municipal (municipal) elections are crucial for the future of the country.

Publicity

Sign of the craze, many voters have voted since this morning, especially in rural areas, where long lines of voters were already formed before the opening time of the polling stations at 6:00 local time, 4:00 UT . Once in the polling station, each voter is entitled to three ballots, including a blue for the presidential election, which overshadowed the other two polls. Indeed, it is a vote that is supposed to turn the page Pierre Nkurunziza , who has just spent 15 years in power.

This election therefore puts his dolphin and favorite of the election, General Évariste Ndayihimiye, and the main Burundian opponent, Agathon Rwasa, even if many specialists believe that it is an "  election played in advance  ". The shadow of President Nkurunziza should hover over his successor for a long time, especially if it is his "heir" who is elected as many expect. He will remain at the center of the game as the supreme guide of patriotism in Burundi and president of the Council of Elders, the governing body of the ruling party.

Finally, the voters were also entitled to a green bulletin for the legislative ones and a red one for the election of the municipal councilors. It is the latter who will elect the Senate chamber in two months by indirect universal suffrage.

No electoral observation mission

And this Wednesday, the Burundians vote behind closed doors. On the strength of its sovereignty, the government refused any electoral observation mission to the territory, whether it be from the UN, the African Union or the European Union. There are also no independent national observers. The Catholic Church wanted to deploy an observer in each of the 14,665 polling stations; it was only allowed 3,000 restricted observers. Finally, all Burundian media, private and public, were practically obliged to make a common coverage, subject to strict rules and piloted by the Ministry of Communication.

But the Burundian government did not stop there, control measures have multiplied. The Burundian government has prohibited, for example, taking photos or videos at polling stations. It has also prohibited the population from remaining on site to assist in the counting.

As a result, it is difficult to verify the many accusations of massive fraud in progress, especially in rural areas. Difficult also to verify the arrest of agents of the opposition CNL party and others chased by dozens of polling stations or ballot stuffing. The task is all the more difficult since the government has cut social networks since dawn, which has become over the years the best alert network in Burundi, and that it has not accredited any foreign journalist.

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• Burundi
• Pierre Nkurunziza

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