BUJUMBURA: Buru­ndians voted on Monday in controversial elections that were condemned internationally amid an opposition boycott and grenade attacks, with the election commission claiming an “enormous” turnout despite many stations being quiet.

Assailants threw grenades both in the capital Bujumbura and at some provincial voting centres ahead of Monday’s parliamentary and local elections, the latest unrest in weeks of violence and a failed coup in which more than 70 people were killed, sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza’s defiant bid for a third term. Ruling party campaign chief Willy Nyamitwe, who is also Nkurunziza’s head of communications, said he was “very satisfied”, adding that the “people responded massively and early”.

Election commission chief Pierre-Claver Ndayicariye said “participation was enormous throughout the country”. No official figures were available, but in polling stations in Bujumbura queues were short and turnout sparse, with election officials at times outnumbering voters.

“They invent the numbers,” said opposition leader Pacifique Nininahazwe, who organised anti-government protests before fleeing into exile. “For us, there is no election today”. Opposition leader Charles Nditije criticised “a parody of elections, unfair polls without any credibility,” denouncing what he said was electoral fraud and claiming voters could cast ballots without needing to show identification.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2015

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