Despite international calls for the postponement of Burundi’s parliamentary and local elections on Monday, and of the presidential election scheduled for July 15, the government of President Pierre Nkurunziza pressed ahead, saying that a delay would only add to instability.
At least three polling stations in the capital, Bujumbura, were attacked overnight. Government and security officials declined to comment on the attacks or to say whether there had been any casualties.
The ethnic divisions that have plagued Burundi are present elsewhere in the region, and a conflagration here could dangerously ripple outward.
The elections are being closely watched by other African leaders who hope to hold on to power despite constitutional limits. Some international observers fear that if Mr. Nkurunziza is able to hold onto office, others will be further encouraged to follow suit.
Many polling centers in the capital were relocated at the last minute for security reasons, leading to confusion and delays on Monday and potentially contributing to a low turnout.
Voters lined up for hours in neighborhoods considered to be strongholds for the president and the government’s election commission said the turnout was “enormous,” but most of the city was deserted, with the streets empty of cars and the normally bustling markets shuttered.
