Burundi elections 'not free'

2005-06-07 10:18

Bujumbura - Burundi's President Domitien Ndayizeye's party on Monday charged local elections that handed victory to a rival party were not free and urged the results be annulled, threatening the peace process that has ended the central African country's 12-year civil war.

"The Front for Democracy in Burundi (Frodebu) party declares the local elections were not free, transparent." and urges the election commission "recognise this fact and take appropriate steps", it said in a statement on Monday.

Partial results from Friday's municipal elections, the first in a series of elections in the country's peace process, have handed victory to the Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD), the former main Hutu rebel group.

A senior Frodebu official who asked not to be named said "we demand pure and simple the results be annulled".

Ndayizeye's Frodebu had been the dominant Hutu party, but the FDD winning absolute majorities in more than half of municipalities will give it an advantage in the upcoming presidential vote.

Friday's vote, the first time Burundians had an opportunity to elect their leaders since a civil war that has killed about 300 000 people broke out in 1993, was of key importance as municipal councils will on July 29 choose members of the senate.

Senators along with members of the National Assembly elected in July 4 legislative polls will choose a new president on August 19.

Frodebu accused the FDD of threatening to kill voters if they did not cast ballots in their favour, and of being behind violence that forced voting at 133 polling stations to be halted and rescheduled for Tuesday.

- AFP