Members of the Burundian National Independent Electoral Commission count
votes for the parliamentary elections at a polling station near Musaga
neighbourhood in capital Bujumbura, June 29, 2015.
Nigeria is not Africa's big brother for nothing. Burundi should have borrowed a leaf from Nigeria in conducting their parliamentary elections. Having conducted a widely acclaimed free and fair elections recently, Nigeria would have loved to play the big brother role in ensuring a hitch-free election.
According to a UN observer, Parliamentary elections held this week in Burundi were not 'free, credible and inclusive.' The observers stated in an earlier statement that the electoral process took place "in a tense political crisis" and "fundamental freedoms of participation, assembly, expression, opinion and information" suffered increasing restrictions during the campaign and as Monday's election approached.
African leaders hate to relinquish power and most of them would rather plunge their countries into violence than leave in peace. The constitution of Burundi limits the President to two terms but the incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza having completed two terms wants to run for a third term in presidential elections set for July 15. His supporters claimed he is eligible because he was chosen by lawmakers - and not popularly elected for his first term.
The announcement of his re-election since April sparked off protest engulfing the country in violence ever since. Why are people so power-thirsty? Unfortunately, it has unashamedly become the hallmark of most African leaders - staying put when they should be packing their bags.
Burundi is
No comments:
Post a Comment