The Catholic Church of Burundi has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the country’s recent parliamentary and municipal elections, citing widespread irregularities that could cast doubt on the official results.
In a statement read by Archbishop Bonaventure Nahimana, head of the Burundi Bishops’ Conference, the Church reported that its observers witnessed numerous flaws during the June 5 vote. While acknowledging the overall peaceful and secure environment in which the elections were held, Archbishop Nahimana said the conduct at many polling stations was deeply troubling.
Among the irregularities reported were polling stations opening before the legal time before observers could verify the empty ballot boxes or witness election administrators taking their oaths. In other cases, ballot boxes were already full upon the observers’ arrival, and some voters were reportedly coerced or improperly guided by election officials.
Additional issues included the use of multiple voting cards by individuals, illegal proxy voting, denial of access to authorised observers and representatives, and restricted oversight during vote counting.
“These irregularities, as observed by our teams, suggest that there is still much to improve in organising credible elections,” said the Bishops’ Conference. We question whether these flaws may have tainted the published results.” said Bishops
According to the official tally, the ruling CNDD-FDD party secured a sweeping victory with 96.51% of the vote, ensuring its control of parliament for the next five years, pending judicial approval.
