Just hours after Burundians cast their ballots in the country’s parliamentary and communal council elections, reactions from across the political spectrum have begun to pour in — ranging from praise for the peaceful conduct of the vote to sharp criticism over alleged electoral irregularities.
As vote counting began late Thursday and continued into Friday, both local and international observers issued statements applauding the general atmosphere of calm and order that characterized election day.
“The elections were conducted in a peaceful, secure, and transparent environment,” said Gérard Hakizima, president of the civil society consortium for election observation. “Our consortium deployed more than 200 observers across the country, and so far, we are satisfied with the way the process unfolded.”
A Russian delegation also shared a similar assessment during a press conference on Friday.
“The elections took place according to the scheduled program. Electoral rights were guaranteed in line with the national constitution and electoral code,” said Alexey Chepa, head of the Russian observer mission. “All eligible voters were granted access to the polls, and observers as well as party agents were able to carry out their duties without obstruction.”
The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), which has been monitoring the electoral process since the campaign period began, also praised the climate in which the elections occurred.
“We have spent a month observing this process. The campaign itself was conducted peacefully and in a good atmosphere, and today’s voting followed the same path,” said the ICGLR delegation in a statement to the press on Thursday.
Opposition Parties Denounce Irregularities, Call Results Into Question
The Union for National Progress (UPRONA) party has decried what it describes as “serious irregularities” nationwide. UPRONA Secretary-General Olivier Nkurunziza outlined several concerns during a press briefing on Friday evening.
“We witnessed ballot-stuffing and voting before the official opening time in numerous polling stations across nearly every province,” he claimed.
“Additionally, young activists affiliated with the ruling party CNDD-FDD were pressuring voters with the cooperation of polling station officials appointed by the CENI. Their goal was to coerce people into voting for the ruling party.”
Nkurunziza also accused polling station staff of exhibiting “provocative and irresponsible behavior” and claimed UPRONA’s poll watchers were forcibly expelled during the vote-counting process.
“These elections, held on June 5, 2025, were a missed opportunity,” he said. “Despite the hopeful promises made on May 9, the vote failed to meet the constitutional, legal, and internationally recognized standards.”
The National Congress for Liberty (CNL) also issued a strong statement earlier on Friday via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, denouncing a series of irregularities it said undermined the integrity of the vote.
“The CNL wishes to bring to public attention the irregularities that have undermined the credibility of the June 5, 2025 elections,” the statement read. “These include violations of voting secrecy through the accompaniment of voters into the booths and forcing them to vote for the ruling party, the expulsion and denial of access to our polling agents, multiple voting with or without authorization, confiscation of voter cards followed by voting in the name of others, the distribution and use of ballots pre-marked in favor of the ruling party, and the arbitrary arrest of some of our representatives.”
“In light of these serious issues,” the statement concluded, “the CNL regrets that the June 5 election was marred by numerous irregularities that delegitimize the results, and calls on the organizers to take full responsibility.”
The opposition coalition Burundi Bwa Bose echoed similar concerns on X, saying that the elections were tainted by “unprecedented irregularities,” and urged citizens to remain calm as it prepares its final report.
Meanwhile, the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) has acknowledged some incidents but insists they do not affect the overall credibility of the process. “There were some minor incidents, but nothing that would compromise the credibility of the election,” said CENI President Prosper Ntahorwamiye on Thursday
Leave a comment