– ‘Impossible’ election conditions –
The election delay was criticised by opposition leaders.
“We are not satisfied by the postponement because the problems of Burundians have not been solved,” said Frederic Bamvuginyumvira, vice president of the opposition FRODEBU party.
As well as the fundamental sticking point of Nkurunziza’s third term, Bamvuginyumvira said it was “impossible to organise these elections in these conditions”, pointing to insecurity and threats from the ruling party’s youth wing, accused by rights groups of carrying out reprisal attacks.
Nkurunziza has been accused by rights groups of launching a campaign of repression against opponents and trying to silence independent media since coup leaders admitted defeat on Friday after fierce fighting with loyalist troops.
But the presidency has dismissed such claims, saying it would never carry out “revenge” raids and promising fair trials for those arrested.
More than 100,000 people have fled to neighbouring nations to escape political violence, according to the United Nations. Cholera has broken out in squalid refugee camps in Tanzania.
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