Burundi’s National Assembly granted approval to the composition of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni) on Thursday, securing a broad majority. However, the opposition has decried the process, labeling it a “violation of procedure.”
The newly appointed president of the seven-member Ceni is Prosper Ntahorwamiye, who currently serves as the government spokesman. The Senate similarly endorsed the Electoral Commission on Wednesday, garnering substantial support.
Members of the Conseil national pour la liberté (CNL), the primary opposition party in Burundi, chose to boycott the vote, asserting a procedural violation. Pamphile Malayika, a CNL deputy, emphasized the significance of the CNI and its role in ensuring fair elections, expressing discontent over the lack of consultation on its composition.
President Gélase-Daniel Ndabirabe defended the democratic process, stating, “We are democrats (…) Those who want to can leave and not take part in the vote, that’s democracy.”
The next legislative elections in Burundi are slated for 2025.
Despite some acknowledgment of increased openness in the country since Evariste Ndayishimiye assumed power in June 2020 following the passing of Pierre Nkurunziza, a UN Commission of Inquiry reported in September 2021 that the human rights situation in Burundi remains “disastrous.”
Burundi, landlocked in the Great Lakes region, holds the distinction of being the world’s poorest country in terms of GDP per capita, according to the World Bank.
