Burundi’s main opposition group says it will not participate in the country’s presidential polls despite them being delayed by a week.
The opposition group argues that nothing has been done to create favourable conditions for elections.
At the same time Burundi’s FRODEBU Nyakuri party has also said it will not take part in the elections.
The Party’s Vice President said one week was not enough to repatriate tens of thousands of refugees who have fled the country, re-instate independent media, and allow exiled politicians to return in time to take part in the election.
Frederic Bamvuginyumvira, however, says his party will take part in the mediation efforts by the East African Community, to facilitate a dialogue between the government and opposition.
A presidential decree issued on Saturday stipulated that the presidential poll had been delayed from July 15 to 21.
It also extended the campaigns for the presidential election to July 18 at 1800hrs local time.
A political crisis started on April 25 when the country’s ruling party, CNDD-FDD, designated Nkurunziza as its candidate for the presidential poll.
Right after Nkurunziza was designated as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming presidential poll, main opposition groups and several civil society organizations called for protests against Nkurunziza’s third term bid considered by his supporters as his second term, arguing that the 2005-2010 term should not be considered as a term because he was elected by the parliament and not directly by citizens.
The Burundian civil society reported at least 80 people were killed during the protests, mainly held in the Burundian capital Bujumbura.
On June 29, the east African country’s main opposition groups boycotted legislative and local and communal elections.
