Burundi’s recent parliamentary elections have come under heavy criticism after Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused ruling party officials and youth groups of widespread voter intimidation and electoral malpractice. The CNDD-FDD party, led by President Evariste Ndayishimiye, reportedly secured 96 percent of the vote and all 100 parliamentary seats in the June 5 election results that opposition leaders have called “rigged.”
HRW’s findings, based on interviews with citizens, activists, journalists, and even a ruling party youth member, paint a grim picture of a deeply flawed electoral process. “Ruling party officials and youths intimidated, harassed and threatened the population and censored media coverage to secure a landslide victory,” the organization stated.
Voters told HRW that members of the Imbonerakure, the ruling party’s youth wing, were stationed at polling stations, pressuring people to vote for the CNDD-FDD. In some areas, the number of votes reportedly exceeded the number of registered voters, suggesting ballot stuffing and manipulation.
“The head of the polling station himself told me to vote for the ruling party,” one voter revealed, highlighting the lack of neutrality among electoral officials.
Clementine de Montjoye, HRW’s senior Great Lakes researcher, criticized the election as “devoid of genuine political competition.” She warned that Burundi’s democracy is being hollowed out by authoritarian practices that leave no space for dissent, even as the nation grapples with severe economic distress.
The Catholic Church, a major institution in Burundi, also raised alarms. Bishop Bonaventure Nahimana stated that Church observers witnessed electoral officials coercing voters and even casting votes on their behalf.
The controversial election takes place amid growing economic hardship, with fuel shortages and soaring inflation—estimated at 40 percent by the World Bank—crippling daily life. The crisis is worsened by reduced international aid and an influx of refugees fleeing conflict in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
President Ndayishimiye, who came to power in 2020, has alternated between reformist rhetoric and strongman tactics. However, rights groups argue that his administration’s latest actions further entrench authoritarian rule, leaving Burundians with shrinking democratic space and deepening governance challenges.
