Burundi’s Ruling Party Still in Charge

The election commission has declared the governing party’s candidate, Evariste Ndayishimiye, as the winner of the country’s presidential election. The retired army general won 68.72 percent of the votes in last week’s ballot, while Agathon Rwasa, the main opposition leader, received 24.19 percent, the body said on Monday. Since Ndayishimiye has received over 50 percent of the vote, he has avoided a runoff. Ndayishimiye was picked by the governing CNDD-FDD party to succeed outgoing President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose controversial decision to seek a third term in the last election in 2015 sparked mass unrest, violence and an opposition boycott. Before the officials results came in, Rwasa had already alleged foul play, saying early numbers showing his National Congress for Liberty party heading for a bruising defeat were a “fantasy”.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA