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Rabat – President Evariste Ndayishimiye’s CNDD-FDD party has secured 100% of the seats in the vote for the national legislative assembly. The election results were announced on Wednesday, June 11, by the electoral commission.
This vote has been termed by opposition parties as the “death” of Burundian democracy.
The ruling party has won the election, despite the country currently being in an economic crisis with chronic shortages and rising inflation.
This is despite the electoral commission stating that no fraud was uncovered, and the President’s party winning 100% of the vote in many electoral districts. This election has been seen as the end of democracy in this African nation.
Ndayishimiye has been the president of the African state since 2020, following the death of Pierre Nkurunziza, who served as the ninth president of Burundi for almost 15 years from August 2005 until his death in June 2020
Observers have criticized Ndayishimiye consistently for human rights abuses.
Burundians went to the polls to vote for the new National Assembly on 5 June. The number of seats in the National Assembly is around 103.
Many observers criticized the election for the tightly controlled element of the government, and the opposition has been constrained. Some opposition parties were banned from participation, such as the main opposition party, the National Council for Liberty.
Many people in the country felt forced to vote during the election, and several journalists and voters had said that they were in fear for their safety. This is in comparison to the statement given by the president, saying that “democracy is rooted in Burundi.”
On Wednesday, June 11, the electoral commission announced the provisional election results, and unsurprisingly, the CNDD-FDD party won with 96.51%.
No other opposition party was able to reach the two percent electoral threshold to gain seats in the National Assembly; therefore, the CNDD-FDD has won 100% of the seats. The final result will be certified at the constitutional court on June 20.
International observers and opposition parties have expressed disbelief and anger, rejecting the election result.
The leader of the Council of Patriots party stated that “major fraud had been seen everywhere.”
Olivier Nkurunziza, the leader of Uprona, said that the elections were “rigged” and had “killed democracy.”
