Burundi goes to the polls today after a campaign period that aroused jitters in the context of the Covid-19 global pandemic. Granted, the election is being held in accordance with the Constitution and must have taken a great deal of planning, but the coronavirus threatens the survival of humanity, not just Burundians.
Caution seems to have been thrown to the wind with images circulated online showing President Pierre Nkurunziza at crowded rallies, in total disregard of social distancing.
And Bujumbura crowned it all by expelling the WHO representative, Walter Kazadi Mulombo, in the heat of disagreements regarding the war on Covid-19. The political exigencies equally pushed to the periphery pressing humanitarian problems, including floods in recent weeks that have displaced more than 40,000 people near the capital, pushing communities into more crises.
Though as divisive as ever, the campaigns were relatively peaceful compared to 2015 when President Nkurunziza’s insistence on a controversial third term led to violence that killed at least 1,200 people and exiled 400,000. Nevertheless, the activities of the ruling CNDD-FDD party’s youth wing, the Imbonerakure (Kirundi for “those that see far”), leave a lot to be desired.
Pessimism remains high about the prospects of the vote birthing a new nation. Even though the incumbent is stepping down, an army general hand-picked by CNDD-FDD as their candidate, Evariste Ndayishimiye, is almost assured of victory, hence a perpetuation of the old order. Apart from Agathon Rwasa, the leader of the nascent opposition party CNL, the other five candidates are largely in the race to add to the numbers.
Hopefully, today’s voting will pass the litmus test of bringing peace to the perennially volatile nation.
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