Burundi's presidential election held in unconducive environment

UN electoral observers in Burundi said on Monday that the overall environment for Burundi's presidential election held on July 21 was not conducive to credible elections, according to a UN statement.

"While the day of the presidential election was relatively peaceful and conducted adequately, the overall environment was not conducive for an inclusive, free and credible electoral process," the statement from the UN Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi (MENUB) said.

The statement indicated that the presidential election took place after two postponements in an environment of "profound mistrust" between opposing camps.

"The decision of the incumbent president to run for another term precipitated a deep political crisis and a socio-economic crisis," the statement said.

According to the statement, the constitutional court's ruling on the admissibility of the incumbent president's candidature for a third term did not solve the wider political problem of presidential term limits in Burundi, but "exacerbated" further controversy, protests and tensions.

The incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza was re-elected for a third term with 69.41 percent over seven other candidates.

However, four main opposition candidates had announced their pullout from the presidential race, arguing that the climate was not conducive to fair, credible and inclusive elections.

They are also against a third term for Nkurunziza, saying it would violate the Burundian Constitution and the Arusha Agreement that stipulate that presidents serve for only two terms.

"Violence remained an unfortunate feature of the entire process," the statement said.

The MENUB regretted that various dialogue efforts, including the most recent initiative under the facilitation of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and the East African Community (EAC), remained "inconclusive."

Besides, the statement said, the parties did not reach an agreement on a consensual electoral schedule.

The MENUB had also said that the legislative and local government elections held on June 29 were held in a climate that did not allow fair, credible and inclusive elections to be held.