RESIDENTS of Burundi and Tanzania will later this year go to the polls to democratically elect their presidents and Members of Parliament (MPs).
The two East African countries will hold their general election in May and October respectively. President John Magufuli is expected to retain his seat as he runs for the second term since assuming the country’s top office in November 2015.
It will be an easy walk in the park for President Magufuli after his CCM party enjoyed a landslide victory in last year’s civic elections which was boycotted by some political parties.
War on corruption capped President Magufuli’s four years in office, coupled by transparency in public institutions which saw the billions of taxpayers’ money recovered and redirected to strategic projects aimed at improving People’s living standards.
Throughout his leadership, President Magufuli has demonstrated zero tolerance towards corruption and occasionally reiterated his intent to have clean, ethical and performing leaders under his watch, a move which has seen him win praises globally.
Meanwhile, Burundians will also exercise their democratic right five years after the East African nation got plunged into chaos ever since the incumbent embattled President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to run for a third term in April 2015.
The country has witnessed political instability marked by violent clashes between government and opposition forces as well as the suppression of civil society, the media and opposition groups.
The political atmosphere in the neighbouring country led to the commissioning of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue (IBD), an EAC initiative which seeks to resolve political tensions whipped up by the controversial general elections of 2015, under the facilitation of former Tanzania President, Benjamin William Mkapa.
East Africans will be closely following developments in Burundi after the embattled leader announced in December last year that he wasn’t willing to run for another term next year in the politically volatile East African nation.
While addressing the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly’s General Debate in September last year, Burundian Minister for Foreign Affairs Ezechiel Nibigira told the General Assembly that the government was wary of and would not tolerate any outside interference in the polls.
He declared that there was an increasingly favourable climate for free, transparent and calm election and warned that any attempt by other countries to interfere with the polls would be an attack on Burundi’s sovereignty.
