Burundi opposition goes to court to contest election results

BUJUMBURA — Agathon Rwasa, the first runner-up in Burundi's May 20 presidential polls, on Thursday filed a case in the country's Constitutional Court challenging the provisional results.

Rwasa, who represented the National Council for Liberty (CNL) party, alleged that the election, which saw Evariste Ndayishimiye of the ruling National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party win, was flawed.

“We reject results of May 20 elections. They are false results. Those elections were characterised by several irregularities,” Rwasa told reporters after filing his case at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt). “We went through electoral reports signed by our observers who had been deployed to polling stations countrywide and we have pointed out several irregularities,”

Rwasa said.

He, among others, alleged ballot stuffing in some parts of the East African country. Rwasa said that if the court does not rule in his favour, he will appeal to the regional East African Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania.

According to Burundi's electoral body, the National Independent Electoral Commission, the ConCourt has until June 4 to approve the commission's provisional results.

Provisional results show that the ruling CNDD-FDD party won the presidential and legislative assembly elections. The party was followed by CNL.

The Burundian National Independent Human Rights Commission last week said this year's general elections were held in a “good and fair” manner. Ndayishimiye will succeed current president Pierre Nkurunziza who has been in power since 2005.

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