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Burundi Prepares to Vote

   Peter Clottey 24 June 2010
   Presidential  candidate  Agathon Rwasa sits underneath the portrait of
   Burundian   President  Pierre  Nkurunziza  during  an  interview  with
   journalists  in  the  south  western Burundian town of Rumonge, 12 May
   2010

Photo: AFP

   Presidential  candidate  Agathon Rwasa sits underneath the portrait of
   Burundian   President  Pierre  Nkurunziza  during  an  interview  with
   journalists  in  the  south  western Burundian town of Rumonge, 12 May
   2010

   A   Burundi  analyst  says  incumbent  President  Pierre  Nkurunzizaâs
   legitimacy  could  be questioned if he wins Mondayâs presidential vote
   after opposition parties decided to boycott the poll.

   Ndikumana  Methode  said  the  Independent Electoral Commission (CENI)
   should  have  resolved  concerns  expressed  by opposition parties and
   postponed Sundayâs vote.

   âThe  elections  may  go  ahead  in  accordance  to  what the (ruling)
   CNDD-FDD   wants.  However,  in  my  opinion  I  think  it  is  rather
   unfortunate  because  it  really takes Burundi a little back in (terms
   of)  its  democratic  process.  Because,  we  have  seen so far in our
   history,  all the elections were multi-party and multi-candidates,â he
   said.

   Burundiâs   opposition   parties   unanimously   pulled   out  of  the
   presidential  election after accusing the electoral body of failing to
   prevent  fraud  in  last  monthâs district elections won by the ruling
   CNDD-FDD party with over 60 percent of the votes.

   Opposition  parties  also  demanded a re-run of the district elections
   after  rejecting  the  results.  But the electoral body, CENI said the
   presidential vote will proceed as originally scheduled.

   Pierre Claver Ndayicariye, chairman of Burundiâs electoral body (CENI)
   told  VOA  that  the  electoral  body has a track record of organizing
   elections  that  both local and international observers have judged to
   be free and fair.

   âWe  are  a  technical  commission  and  our  mission  is  to organize
   technically   the   elections.  Today,  we  are  preparing  (for)  the
   presidential  election, which are scheduled on 28^th June 2010. We are
   really preparing (for) this election,â he said.

   But  analyst  Methode  said  CENI should have addressed the opposition
   concerns before the vote.

   âThe  committee  in  charge of elections should have looked into them,
   giving  answers to them then maybe come to some kind of negotiation at
   local level before they went ahead with the election,â Methode said.

   Recently, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, as well as other foreign
   diplomats,  called  on  the  various  opposition parties to reconsider
   their decision to boycott the 28 June election.

   Analyst Methode said the opposition boycott weakens the credibility of
   the election.

   âI  think  they do and yes the legitimacy is pretty much ion question.
   And  I mean what is an election for (only) one man or one candidate or
   one  party?  I think they should have sat down and maybe postponed the
   election  and  maybe  agree  on  a period of time so that any cloud is
   removed from this election,â Methode said.

   Meanwhile,  incumbent  President  Nkurunziza  is  expected to win by a
   landslide  after  opposition  parties  including  his  main challenger
   decided to boycott Sundayâs presidential vote.

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