Why Agathon Rwasa thinks May 20 election was rigged?
Briefing Issue #96, Thursday, May 28, 2020
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This Thursday, Mr. Agathon Rwasa, the CNL candidate for the presidential election of May 20, filed the appeal to the Constitutional Court. He specified that if the court’s decision is not favorable to him, he plans to take the East African community court.
Addressing the press, Mr. Rwasa shared some information on the proof he submitted to the constitutional court:
Ballot stuffing
CNL party recorded many irregularities, according to CNL party leader in some places the F2 form showed that over 1000 cards were distributed and counted but records showed later very minimal figures in the results section.
Hon. Rwasa adds that the Cnl party has noted cases of people who died but the records showed that they have voted. For him, cards were printed and distributed to people who went to vote for them.
He points out that in Muzinda in Bubanza province, 15 cases have been identified, others in Buhayira in Murwi commune and all over the country.
Discrepancies between the results
According to Hon. Rwasa, there have been discrepancies between the results for the same polling station for the presidential and legislative elections.
“There must be an equivalence of the numbers of voices cast.” He emphasized
When there is the same number of voters in the same office, we must have the same results for legislative and presidential elections, at least— he says.
Irregularities in all Communes
Agathon Rwasa stresses that the irregularities were observed in all the communes of Burundi. For him, the results that have been proclaimed are false results.
He denounced the prosecutor's order to Ceni to strike out the electoral lists of the CNL candidates who were arrested due to false allegations.
"It is not acceptable that the State continues to barbarize through the elections and claim that the country is advancing on the democratic path ”.
In case the decision of the Court is not favorable to him, Agathon Rwasa plans to seize the Community Court of East African Community.
As for the "real" results, he replied that there is no question of comparing his results with those of the CENI. "We have produced evidence that there has been massive fraud. At the moment, we are awaiting the reading of the Constitutional Court. And that’s what we’re going to stick to, ”he said.
According to Térence Manirambona, spokesperson of the CNL party, from the first day of the electoral campaign to the day of the triple ballot, there were more than 600 members of the CNL arrested and imprisoned. As for this week, the party counts 423 activists in prison.
The Bottom Line
Rwasa thinks that the electoral commission must be held accountable for certain irregularities, notably the opacity around the electoral roll which has never been made public.
For him, that is proof that elections were rigged.
Thanks for reading!
Fabrice Iranzi
Editor, RegionWeek.com
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