They say electors  were accompanied to the voting booths where officials or members of the ruling party’s youth wing pressed them to vote in favour of the constitutional change sought by the President already serving an unconstitutional third term.

Opposition leader Agathon Rwasa says the yes vote was achieved even in strongholds of his coalition because his monitors were either abducted, chased from the polling stations, jailed or threatened.

The youth wing known as Imbonerakure, which is regarded the United Nations as a militia group spreading terror among the population, played a leading role in this

Rwasa says the electoral process has been neither free nor transparent, nor independent and still less democratic.

The post Opposition rejects provisional outcome of Burundi’s referendum appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Results are expected tomorrow.

Voters were asked to say yes or no to a proposal that Pierre Nkurunziza be allowed to contest two seven- year terms after his mandate expires in 2020.

Half of Burundi’s 4,8 million people registered to vote.

Those calling for a boycott risked a three-year jail term.

Main opposition figure Agathon Rwasa says there were irregularities in yesterday’s voting that the government says was very orderly.

Nkurunziza came to power in 2005 and won an unconstitutional third term in 2015.

Nearly half a million people have fled ensuing violence that killed hundreds of protestors.

The post Burundi referendum result expected Saturday appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.