Bujumbura, Burundi - Burundi's opposition on Saturday slammed the election commission for steering the country towards a controversial presidential vote next month, branding it a tool of President Pierre Nkurunziza and his ruling party.
The appointment of two new members to the national election commission (CENI) was "a government-orchestrated sham to put in place a CENI totally subservient to Nkurunziza and his party", said Jeremie Minani, spokesman for the Arusha Movement coalition of opposition and civil society groups.
The criticism came after the upper and lower houses of parliament -- both dominated by the ruling CNDD-FDD party -- overwhelmingly approved the new election commissioners late Friday.
They are replacing two who fled the country amid a political crisis and street protests that have unsettled Burundi since late April, when Nkurunziza announced his bid for a third term as president.
Annonciate Niyonkuru and Alice Nijimbere, both 38-year-old women from the Tutsi ethnic minority, took up their posts immediately after their appointments were approved by 81 votes to one in the National Assembly and by 31 to two in the Senate. The CNDD-FDD holds three-quarters of the seats in each house.
The appointment of the new CENI members follows opposition complaints that without a full complement of commissioners the election body was not legitimate.
With its new members appointed, the election commission went ahead late Friday and approved all eight candidates who put themselves forward for the upcoming presidential poll, including Nkurunziza and his leading opponent Agathon Rwasa.
"All eight applications submitted to CENI by candidates for the presidential election on July 15 were validated yesterday. None were rejected," said election commission spokesperson Prosper Ntahorwamiye.
Parliamentary elections are slated for June 29, along with the presidential poll in July, having been delayed following weeks of street demonstrations, a violent police crackdown and a failed coup attempt by a section of the army.
AFP
