Elections in Burundi should be postponed, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, after opposition parties announced they were boycotting the upcoming polls.
The central African nation has been plunged into violent turmoil since April when the president launched a drive to serve a third consecutive five-year term. Tens of thousands of people have fled Burundi seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for Monday and the presidential vote on July 15. In a statement, Ban said Burundi needed a delay to create “a conducive environment for inclusive, peaceful and transparent elections”.
Opponents say President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for another term is unconstitutional and violates a peace accord that ended 13 years
