Highlight
- Friday 24th July, 2015 Burundi announced presidential poll results.
- Burundi incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza won the election with almost 70 percent of the vote.
- The East African Community (EAC) slammed the poll results, saying they failed to meet the EAC’s standards for holding free, transparent and credible elections.
Analysis and Outcomes
Burundi has been battling a civil crisis that followed President Pierre Nkurunziza’s foiled ouster mid-May. Burundi army general, formerly intelligence chief Godefroid Niyombare on Wednesday 13th of May 2015 staged a military coup to oust Nkurunziza.
Overcoming the military coup strengthened Nkurunziza who has since been able to wade through criticism to garner supporters around him, at the same time eyeing another term in the government’s top mantle that he has occupied for two terms already.
The East African Community (EAC) slammed last week’s presidential polls in Burundi on alleged basis of failure to meet the EAC’s standards for holding free, transparent and credible elections.
The East African regional bloc comprising Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda does not however site any violation of the constitution of Burundi in Nkurunziza’s re-election.
This is an implication that Nkurunziza is likely to serve his third term in presidency until the end. If this happens, it is imminent that the president will be hostile to opposition politicians involved in the coup.
Forecast
Equally possible is a civil crisis in Burundi only that this time it could plunge the country into actual civil war between the government and other forces allied to the opposition.
