With just days to go before Burundi’s double election on June 5, opposition parties are voicing growing frustration over what they say is a troubling irregularity: many of their supporters still haven’t received their voter cards.
These cards are essential for participating in the upcoming legislative and communal council elections. But opposition leaders say that despite the official distribution period ending over two weeks ago, numerous voters—particularly their supporters—remain without them.
In a statement earlier this week, the National Congress for Liberty (CNL) didn’t mince words. The party claimed that in some areas, local administrators had taken possession of the cards, effectively blocking access to voters.
“We urge the CENI to ensure that every eligible voter gets their card,” the CNL said. “There are people who are being told their cards have already been collected—when they clearly haven’t. And we want to know: what are administrators doing with these cards?”
The coalition Burundi Bwa Bose echoed similar concerns. Its president, Patrick Nkurunziza, told local media that the issue is widespread. “In provinces like Makamba, Cibitoke, Bubanza, Gitega, and Ngozi, many of our supporters can’t find their cards at the local electoral commission offices. We’ve already raised this with the CENI,” he said.
The same problem was flagged by UPRONA, another opposition party. Speaking during a campaign stop in the extended province of Bujumbura this week, party representative Jean Claude Ndihokubwayo said, “Some of our members simply haven’t received their voter cards. UPRONA is demanding that the CENI act immediately to make these cards available.”
It’s not just political parties raising the alarm. Civil society groups are also weighing in. The president of ALUCHOTO, a local organization that advocates against unemployment and torture, said the irregularities appear more widespread than initially thought.
“There are so many people who registered to vote but never received their cards,” said Vianney Ndayisaba, national coordinator of the group. “Some have receipts showing they registered, but still don’t appear in the voter database. In other cases, they have receipts, but no card.”
Originally, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) had set the period for voter card distribution from May 12 to 14, later extending it by one day to May 15. Still, many voters were left out. CENI has since announced that those who didn’t receive their cards can pick them up from communal commission offices—up until June 2, just two days before election day.
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