Nkurunziza Wins Third Term in Burundi
July 27, 2015
Burundi’s electoral commission announced on Friday, July 24, that President Pierre Nkurunziza had won a third term in office, taking nearly 70% of the vote. Nkurunziza was widely predicted to win the July 21 election after most of the country’s opposition parties boycotted the vote. The election followed months of protests and unrest in which at least 70 people died and more than 100,000 others fled the country.
Tensions began in April, when Nkurunziza announced that he would run for a third term. Political opponents objected, accusing the president of attempting to cement his hold on power. They cited Burundi’s constitution, which states that presidents can only serve two terms in office. However, the country’s constitutional court ruled that Nkurunziza was eligible for a third term. The court ruled that Nkurunziza’s first term, which began in 2005, did not count toward the two-term limit because he was elected by the country’s parliament and not its voters. In May 2015, several army generals made a failed attempt to overthrow Nkurunziza. International observers refused to monitor the election, citing the government’s excessive use of force against protesters, restrictions on the media, and an overall climate of intimidation.
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