Campaigning officially began in Burundi on Tuesday for the country’s legislative and local elections.
The race will culminate in elections scheduled for June 5.
The campaign period will run until June 2, three days before voters head to the polls.
A symbolic launch ceremony took place Friday in Gitega, the political capital, attended by President Evariste Ndayishimiye.
Burundi’s National Assembly consists of 123 seats, including 100 directly elected members and additional co-opted representatives.
Ndayishimiye’s National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD) party, which has held power since 2005, secured a supermajority in the 2020 elections.
The CNDD–FDD party, founded in 1998 during Burundi’s civil war, remains a dominant force in the country’s political landscape.
The party’s grip on power is expected to face significant scrutiny in the upcoming elections.
Following the legislative and local elections, Burundians will return to the polls on July 23 for the Senate elections.
This year marks a busy election season for Africa, with at least nine presidential and seven legislative elections scheduled across the continent.
Burundi’s elections are poised to be a key focal point in the region’s democratic processes.
