The ruling comes after the leader of opposition party CNL Agathon Rwasa contested last week on the outcome of the results accusing the Electoral Commission and the ruling party CNDD-FDD of inflating the numbers of voters while others voted on behalf of those who died long time ago. PHOTO| FILE.
Burundi’s Constitutional Court declared on June 4, 2020 the definitive results from the May 20th presidential elections with ruling party CNDD-FDD’s Evaritse Ndayishimiye winning the race.
The Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) announced provisional as the ruling party’s candidate won the elections by 68 percent of the total votes against Agathon Rwasa who bagged 24 percent from the estimated five million voters.
The president of the Constitutional Court Charles Ndagijimana during the ruling said that the defendant didn’t provide clear proofs of allegations that the elections were rigged.
“We did not find any irregularities or proofs to vote rigging as the whole process was conducted as it was supposed to,” said Constitutional Court president.
The ruling comes after the leader of opposition party CNL Agathon Rwasa contested last week on the outcome of the results accusing the Electoral Commission and the ruling party CNDD-FDD of inflating the numbers of voters while others voted on behalf of those who died long time ago.
Mr. Rwasa cried foul over irregularities and shortcomings observed in the electoral process. Later after provisional results came out, he ceased the constitutional court over electoral fraud.
The constitutional court also validated the legislative elections out of the 123 seats in the parliament CNDD-FDD won 86 seats, CNL 32, Uprona 2, and Batwa ethnic group 3.
The parliament is expected to start business on July 28, 2020 for a period of five years.
The court rehabilitated Kathy Kezimana and Pélate Niyonkuru to the parliament. Ms. Kathy was arrested remanded to the country’s central prison last month during the electoral campaigns, accused of using hate speech and inciting violence allegations that were denied by his party (CNL).
President elect Evariste Ndayishimiye is set to be sworn in on August 20, 2020 succeeding the incumbent president Pierre Nkurunziza who rules the country since 2005.