Burundi’s elections leave opposition without representation
On June 11th, Burundi’s ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, won all 100 seats in the latest legislative elections, according to official results released by the national electoral commission. As reported by Africa News, the outcome has sparked strong criticism from opposition groups, who denounced the vote as deceptive and undemocratic.
According to the commission’s figures, the CNDD-FDD secured 96.51% of the vote, leaving opposition parties unable to meet the 2% threshold required for parliamentary representation. The National Congress for Liberty (CNL), the main opposition force, was severely sidelined through leadership purges, harassment, and detentions of its members throughout the campaign period.
Civil society organisations have also expressed concern, highlighting an atmosphere of fear and multiple arrests of opposition polling agents on voting day, June 5th. While official media described the elections as calm and orderly, critics noted that a peaceful process does not imply a fair one. In some constituencies, authorities reported a 100% turnout for the CNDD-FDD with zero invalid ballots — a result widely seen as implausible.
In power since 2005, the CNDD-FDD is led by President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who succeeded Pierre Nkurunziza in 2020. Despite pledges of democratic reform, the latest vote appears to entrench total government control over the country’s fragile democracy.
With no opposition representation in the National Assembly and a worsening economic and social crisis, concerns are growing over Burundi’s authoritarian trajectory and the prospects for democratic consolidation.
Africa News, Maghrebi.org
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