Burundi president wins controversial third term

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza was today declared the outright winner of controversial elections, handing him a third consecutive term at the helm of the central African nation despite opposition protests and international condemnation.
Nkurunziza won 69.41 percent of the vote in Tuesday's polls, handing him an immediate first-round victory, the election commission said.
He won 16 out of 18 provinces, with the other two taken by his closet rival Agathon Rwasa -- who won 18.99 percent -- even though he had denounced the polls as illegitimate.
"We are very happy with this result," said Pascal Nyabenda, the head of Nkurunziza's ruling CNDD-FDD party, while insisting that the president will not be seeking a fourth term in 2020.

"These elections were well organised and took place in a situation of peace and security. I don't know why a section of the international community say they were not credible. They were free, transparent and took place in security."
Nkurunziza's candidacy was condemned as unconstitutional by the opposition and provoked months of protests and an attempted coup, and his victory could trigger donor sanctions against the already impoverished nation.

There are also widespread fears the country, situated in the heart of central Africa's troubled Great Lakes region, could be plunged back into civil war.
"What has just happened is the climax of a coup d'etat against the constitution by President Nkurunziza," fumed Jean Minani, a prominent opposition leader.

"The opposition does not accept and will never accept that these were credible elections. We call on the international community not to recognise the results and to continue to push for real negotiations to prevent Burundi from going over the precipice," he said.
Although eight candidates were on the ballot paper for the presidential polls, most withdrew from the race, with the closure of most independent media preventing them from campaigning. The election commission insisted however that turnout in the polls was a healthy 73.44 percent.