By Sarah Mazirwe – Kampala, Uganda, Tuesday, May 19, 2020.
Burundi will vote tomorrow Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in general elections despite the concerns of largely ignored Coronavirus pandemic.
President Pierre Nkurunziza who’s been in power for 15 years took the world by surprise last year when he announced he would step aside in this year’s elections.
He named General Evariste Ndayasjimiye as his successor who’s is also the presidential candidate for the ruling party CNDD-FDD.
The country has kept a blind eye and deaf ear to the pandemic and has for the past weeks continued to organize it’s elections, carrying out political rallies without observing social distancing that has been preached globally.
Last week, four World Health Organisation officials were expelled from the country for criticizing its elections amidst the pandemic. Burundi so far has 42 cases with no deaths.
The main opponent Agathon Rwasa is an ex-leader of Hutu rebels of the National Liberation Forces (FNL). The 56-year-old will be running under the banner of the National Congress for Liberty, known by its French acronym CNL.
