The chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission of Burundi, CENI, announced Friday that the only political coalition of the opposition « Burundi Bwa Bose » and the main opposition political party, CNL, will participate in the legislative elections of next May as « voters but not as competitors ». This is after all the candidacies of this coalition and the CNL related to it were rejected by his commission. Opponent Charles Nditije in exile today describes elections that will be « worse » than those of 2020.

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It was in a press briefing that Prosper Ntahorwamiye declared it in the commercial city Bujumbura where the headquarters of his commission is located.

« A party that fails to meet the conditions, I apologize, these are rules of the game, cannot compete. They will participate in the elections as voters but not as competitors, » he insisted.

Reproaches

On December 31, the CENI announced that all the candidacies of the only political coalition of the opposition « Burundi Bwa Bose » present on the ground and of the main opposition party, CNL, had been rejected, citing in particular shortcomings related to ethnic and gender balances. The commission also said that the said coalition had lined up candidates who do not campaign for the parties affiliated with it.

On Friday, Mr. Ntahorwamiye was clearer.

« Honorable Agathon Rwasa has lost the management of the leadership of the CNL party, but he has not lost the status of member of the party and as evidence, he still sits in the National Assembly on behalf of this party. The same is true for the people of this party who are almost in the same conditions. The CNL party is not a member of this coalition, the law on political parties does not allow someone to be a member of two political parties at the same time », clarified the CENI chairperson.

A wicked provision targeting Rwasa

Charles Nditije does not mince his words : the electoral code is discriminatory, more catastrophic in its content.

« Coalitions of political parties are almost forbidden because it is said that coalitions are formed when elections are called. So you do not have time to campaign and make your coalition known if you wait for the elections to be called. And this is done on purpose. Independent candidates have no place either. You must have at least 40% of the votes cast. And then an independent must run in a personal capacity, he cannot form a coalition with others. Worse still, he must have left his political party or resigned or have been ousted two years before the elections », explains opponent Charles Nditije, chairperson of the Uprona party – opposition wing.

And he added, « You understand, look where my gaze is directed as they say, it is really a villainous provision that essentially targets Agathon Rwasa whose political strength is known because we know that he won the elections in 2020, everyone knows it ».

The new electoral code constitutes a real step backwards because nothing is provided for in the event of electoral disputes, according to Nditije.

« If there are problems with the counting, there is no provision that allows you to file a complaint and appeal. It does not exist at all », says Mr. Nditije.

Former Hutu rebel leader and traditional CNL leader Agathon Rwasa was ousted from the leadership of this party by a group of executives from the main opposition political party in early March 2024, accusing him of « wanting to stay at the top of the party in violation of the law ».

Prosper Ntahorwamiye, CENI chairperson, who declared that opponents will participate in the legislative elections as voters but not as competitors (SOS Médias Burundi)

But the CNL recognized by Burundian authorities is not spared by the CENI decision, which irritated Thérence Manirambona, its spokesperson. He told the local press on Friday that this party has also seized the constitutional court. According to Mr. Manirambona, « the second political force of a country cannot be absent in the electoral race unless we want to consecrate the most representative political parties not to participate in the elections, which would not be good for a country that calls itself democratic. » He described the CENI measure as « unfounded. »

The CENI, an instrument of the ruling party

The Independent National Electoral Commission and its branches – the provincial and district commissions, were set up unilaterally, recalls Charles Nditije. « All political parties including those close to the CNDD-FDD, cried scandal by denouncing this imposition of CENI members who are also members or close to the CNDD-FDD at 90% », he says.

He anticipates elections « of all dangers ».

« There will be no foreign observers, even the Catholic Church which could denounce was not included, and then journalists are forbidden to publish, to say anything – the irregularities that are committed, they cannot do it otherwise they risk prison or death. In short, these are elections of all dangers where everything is gridded, everything is locked. So these are elections that will be worse than those of 2020 », predicts opponent Charles Nditije in exile since 2016.

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CENI employees show empty ballot boxes to voters before voting begins, May 2020 (SOS Médias Burundi)