BURUNDI’S Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) has disqualified several opposition candidates from participating in the upcoming June elections, sparking allegations of political manipulation. The excluded candidates belong to the four-party coalition, ‘Burundi for All,’ which was officially recognised just weeks earlier.
The coalition includes members of the National Freedom Council (CNL), a suspended opposition party, which CENI claims violates electoral regulations. This decision has intensified concerns over the fairness of the electoral process as the nation prepares to elect local officials.
Targeting opposition voices
Among those barred are high-profile figures such as Agathon Rwasa, Euphrasie Mutenzinka, and Anatole Karorero, according to the CNL. These candidates, representing only one province among five, have been sidelined based on technicalities linked to their affiliation with the suspended party.
Agathon Rwasa, a prominent opposition leader and presidential runner-up in the 2020 elections, has found himself at the centre of this political storm. Rwasa, once a militia leader, was controversially ousted as the leader of the CNL in March—a decision he has since challenged in court.
Critics argue the exclusion of Rwasa and others is a calculated move. A political analyst speaking anonymously remarked, ‘The government has done everything in its power to keep Agathon Rwasa out of the electoral race.’
Electoral law changes raise concerns
The disqualifications stem from a December decree stipulating that independent candidates must not have been members of a political party for at least one year prior to standing for office. Additionally, former party executives are barred from running as independents for two years following their resignation or removal.
Observers have criticised these changes as ‘tailor-made’ to target opposition leaders, particularly Rwasa. In the 2020 presidential elections, Rwasa finished second to incumbent President Evariste Ndayishimiye, a victory the opposition alleged was riddled with irregularities.
Government under scrutiny
President Ndayishimiye, who succeeded Pierre Nkurunziza in 2020, has received international praise for reducing Burundi’s isolationism following years of political turmoil under his predecessor. However, his administration’s human rights record remains a concern.
Reports of crackdowns on journalists, civil society activists, and opposition figures continue to tarnish Burundi’s global image. The barring of opposition candidates from the upcoming elections has further fuelled accusations of authoritarianism, undermining the credibility of democratic processes in the East African nation.
The road ahead
As Burundi inches closer to the June elections, the exclusion of key opposition figures casts a shadow over the legitimacy of the electoral process. With mounting criticism from both local and international observers, the government’s actions could have far-reaching implications for the country’s democratic future.
Rwasa’s exclusion, in particular, highlights the ongoing struggles of opposition leaders in Burundi, raising questions about whether genuine political competition can exist in such a restrictive environment.
For now, Burundi’s electorate faces an election marred by controversy, where the absence of diverse voices may ultimately weaken the democratic mandate of its leaders.
Challenged yet resilient, the opposition’s fight for inclusion serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of democracy in nations navigating the crossroads of political reform and authoritarian tendencies.
