From VOA:
Burundi’s election commission declared ruling party candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye the winner of the country’s presidential election.
The retired general won just under 69% of the vote, according to results released Monday. Opposition party leader Agathon Rwasa received about 24%, with five other candidates splitting the rest.
Voting last Wednesday was peaceful, but speaking to VOA, Rwasa accused the ruling party of “mischief” and said police and security officers were kicking opposition members out of polling places.
The ruling CNDD-FDD picked Ndayishimiye to succeed outgoing President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose decision to run for a third term in the 2015 election triggered mass protests and a crisis that forced more than 250,000 Burundians to flee the country.
Nkurunziza chose not to run for a fourth term this year but was named a “supreme guide for patriotism” by Parliament and still holds a prominent position in the ruling party.
David Anderson says
More shenanigans from the crooks in Bujumbura. Burundi nearly exploded 3 years ago, it nearly went full metal Rwanda and there’s no reason to suggest it won’t again.
After religion, corruption is the worst bane of mankind – worse than covid, worse than ebola or malaria.
It’d probably take the concerted attention and effort, and even less money, of a few large countries (Belgium, France, USA, Canada…goodness even China or Japan could) to draw attention to this mess in Burundi and make it better for millions of people there. Shouldn’t they?
D.A., J.D., NYC
David Anderson says
Oh. And cheers to the editors for putting this catastrophe on the top of the front page – “above the fold” as it were.
DC.org’s very worthwhile remit is that they understand that the world doesn’t end at our beaches – that there are other counties.
That is incredibly rare here.
No? Tonight, if you live in the US (or any pre-corona night) see how many seconds are devoted to foreign coverage in broadcast or cable news.
And as for the garbage that is facebook – where the lower IQ cohort gets it news….forgetabaht it! as we say in NYC.
Hats off to DC.org for their continuing coverage of places hard to find on a map.