AFRICA/BURUNDI - President Nkurunziza: "I may stand for re-election in 2020"

Wednesday, 4 January 2017 politics   elections  

Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides) - Towards a fourth term of President Pierre Nkurunziza? This is what the same Head of State of Burundi hinted and also stressed the possibility of amending the Constitution to obtain a fourth term in 2020.
" I have promised not to stand for re-election in 2020, in accordance with the court’s decision. But the people are above the judiciary. If the Burundian people decide to change the constitution according to their wishes, I will follow their decision as such ", said Nkurunziza.
He has already obtained a third term in spite of the Constitution and of the Arusha Peace Accords, plunging Burundi into the worst political crisis in the last 10 years which has so far caused at least the death of 500 people and 300,000 internally displaced persons and refugees abroad. Nkurunziza also cited some African examples of "Life Presidents" such as Paul Biya in Cameroon and Yoweri Musevani in neighboring Uganda, hinting that he would like to follow their path.
A month ago the Council of Ministers decided to set up a review committee of the Constitution after the National Council of internal dialogue had stated that the majority of participants wanted to abolish the constitutional limit of two presidential terms. The Council of internal dialogue is a body which brings together the majority parties and only some parties of the opposition. Most of the opposition is excluded from dialogue and their leaders have fled abroad. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 04/01/2017)


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