Burundi counting votes after presidential election
Vote counting is underway in Burundi’s presidential election, with incumbent Pierre Nkurunziza expected to win a third consecutive term.
People in Burundi went to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots to elect the next president amid ongoing bloody unrest in the African country.
At least two people were killed as blast and gunfire echoed around different neighborhoods of the capital, Bujumbura, before polls opened on Tuesday.
Ballots will continue to be tallied on Wednesday, and vote results are expected by the end of Thursday.
Electoral Commission President Pierre-Claver Ndayicariye said around 74 percent of Burundi’s 3.8 million registered voters cast their ballots in the presidential election.
According to the official, the turnout was low in southwestern Bururi Province and Bujumbura.
The presidential vote was held despite opposition to Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term, which opponents say contravenes the constitution.
Last month, the opposition and civil society groups boycotted the parliamentary election in the country, which was held on June 29, as well as the presidential vote, claiming they would not be free and fair.
Burundi has been the scene of street demonstrations, a violent police crackdown and a failed coup attempt by a section of the army.
The violence in Burundi has reportedly left at least 100 people dead since April, when Nkurunziza announced his bid for a third term.
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