The African Union will not observe Burundi’s
legislative elections scheduled for Monday,
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the
commission of the AU, has said.
In a communique released on Sunday, Dlamini-Zuma
said the “AU reiterates the imperative need for
dialogue and consensus for a lasting solution to the
crisis in Burundi”.
“[The AU] will not observe the elections scheduled for
29 June 2015,” Dlamini-Zuma said.
Echoing the AU’s remarks, the UN said on Sunday
that Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon was
concerned about “the Government of Burundi’s
insistence on going ahead with elections on 29 June
despite the prevailing political and security
environment.”
Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa, reporting from the capital
Bujumbura, said some supporters of President
Pierre Nkurunziza are wondering why Sudan’s
President Omar Al-Bashir was seemingly protected in
South africa at the AU summit in Johannesburg just
over a week back, while their president seems to
have been abandoned by the AU.
Burundi has been in turmoil since April, when
Nkurunziza said he would seek a third term,
triggering weeks of protests, and an abortive military
coup last month.
Dlamini-Zuma said the AU was disappointed that
proposals put forward to postpone elections were
not accepted.
“Noting that the necessary conditions are not met for
the organization of free, fair and transparent and
credible elections .. the AU commission will not
observe the local and parliamentary elections,” the
statement read.
Nkurunziza’s opponents say his decision to stand
again violates the constitution as well as a peace deal
that ended a civil war in 2005
The latest developments come as clashes continued
on the streets of the capital Bujumbura, as the
country inched towards the controversial poll.
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