Burundi: EU concern about president re-election

Burundi's president Pierre Nkurunziza has been re-elected with 91.62% of the vote, following polls on Monday in which he was the only candidate, the electoral commission said on Wednesday. Renate Weber, who heads the European Union mission, praised Burundi for holding a peaceful presidential election but criticised the government for limits on political expression.

"The EU mission saluted the calm that characterised the June 28 election, but regretted the absence of a multiparty contest in the election," said Weber.

"The constitution is clear; it states that Burundi is a multiparty democracy. But in the present case, we just have one candidate for one political party. For us, Nkurunziza is not a legal president," spokesman Leonard Nyangoma told the media.

Nkurunziza remained as sole candidate after opposition figures pulled out of the race to protest what they said was massive fraud by the ruling party in the May 24 local elections.