Museveni now Burundi mediator, region asks for poll shift

Burundi should postpone its July 15 presidential elections until July 30 because of continuing protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid to seek a third term in office, East African leaders declared on Monday.

The East African Community (EAC) announced it had appointed Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to facilitate talks between the Burundian government and the opposition.

Nkurunziza did not attend the EAC summit in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam, which was called to discuss the Burundi crisis.

Museveni is due to replace Abdoulaye Bathily, the UN Special Envoy to Burundi, who had acted as a mediator.

Burundi’s ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, issued a statement asking Bathily to step down.

It has accused the UN representative of siding with the opposition.

No fewer than 80 people have been killed during the over two months of protests against Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term, which critics see as violating the constitution.

Nkurunziza ignored calls to postpone the June 29 parliamentary elections, which were boycotted by the opposition.

Report says the election results are still to be made public.