Burundi's ruling party wins legislative poll

The Burundian ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), has won the legislative poll held on June 29, with 77 seats, the Electoral Commission Chairman announced Tuesday.

"Out of 100 seats that were to be contested, the CNDD-FDD got 77 seats, the Burundians' Hope Independent coalition 21 seats and 2 seats for the Union for National Progress (UPRONA)," said Pierre Claver Ndayicariye, chairman of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).

He indicated that the turnout of last week's legislative and communal elections is 74.32 percent.

In the communal elections whose results were published by the 18 Provincial Independent Electoral Commission (CEPI) offices, the CNDD-FDD also remains the larger winner.

The legislative and local government polls were boycotted by the main opposition groups despite the fact that they received seats.

Reacting to the legislative poll results, Agathon Rwasa, chairman of the Burundians' Hope Independent opposition coalition said, "We will not go to the National Assembly because the legislative and communal elections results were pre-made."

"It is not believable to be given votes when you did not participate in an election," said Rwasa.

For his part CENI Chairman Ndayicariye indicated that if a political party or a coalition does not take the seats that it got from an election, the electoral law stipulates that the seats will be redistributed to the parties that got at least 5 percent of the votes.