Despite coronavirus threats and with less than a week on its hands, voters in Burundi are getting ready to participate in a groundbreaking election that would lead to the democratic handover of power from controversial President Nkurunziza to a new country leader. With more than 5 million people registered with the electoral commission and with campaigns currently running and set to stop on the 17th of May, a tough choice is to be made in electing members of parliament, local officials, and most importantly, a new president.
Meet the Candidates in Burundi:
Evariste Ndayishmiye, CNDD – FDD
Following current President Nkurunziza’s decision to not seek re-election, Burundi’s ruling party, National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party in January selected Secretary-General Evariste Ndashyinuye as its presidential candidate.
Ndashimiye is a retired army general who also heads the department of military affairs in the president’s office and has served as minister of the interior and security. The party made its decision to go with the Gitega native after he apparently met all its requirements.
Outgoing President Nkurunziza and Ndayishimiye are close allies who started out in the CNDD-FDD as rebels in the 1990s. The former selected Ndashimiye as his successor. Speaking about his decision to run, the former minister said, “Much has been done … we want that by 2027 every Burundian citizen sees a change at his home, in his neighbourhood, in his district or where he works.”
Agathon Rwasa, CNL
Burundi’s main opposition candidate in the upcoming presidential elections is Agathon Rwasa, a former rebel leader and rival of outgoing President Nkurunziza. The National Congress for Liberty, known by its French acronym CNL, selected Rwasa to be its candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
Rwasa was the leading opposition candidate in two previous elections but boycotted the 2010 and 2015 polls claiming that there was too much repression of his supporters. Both those elections were won by Nkurunziza. The 2015 election sparked off protests that led to an attempted coup by those unhappy at Nkurunziza extending his time in power to a third term. The military quashed the coup attempt and those involved have been jailed or are facing trial.
Domitien Ndayizeye, Kira Burundi Coalition
Attempting to make a return to power is former President Domitien Ndayizeye. Who served as president of Burundi from 2003 to 2005. He succeeded Pierre Buyoya on April 30th 3003, after serving as Buyoya’s vice president for 18 months. Ndayizeye remained in office up until he handed over to current President Nkurinziza in August 2005.
His play for power in the upcoming elections hasn’t been a smooth ride. The Burundian National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) had in March rejected four candidates out of the ten who had filed for the presidential election with Chairman, Pierre Claver Kazihise explaining that the four candidates failed to meet the Commission’s requirements.
Burundi’s Constitutional Court, however, approved his presidential candidacy after an appeal was filed, despite its decision to reject the appeals of two other applicants including Valentin Kavakure for the National People’s Front (FPN-Imboneza) party and Anicet Niyonkuru for the Council of the Patriots (CDP) party.
On May 20, Burundi will hold general elections that combine three polls—the presidential election, legislative elections, and district council elections.
