[wanabidii] Africa: Burundi: U.S. Regrets Decision To Move Ahead With Elections

You are subscribed to Africa for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Africa: Burundi: U.S. Regrets Decision To Move Ahead With Elections 06/29/2015 08:05 PM EDT Burundi: U.S. Regrets Decision To Move Ahead With Elections Press Statement John Kirby Department Spokesperson Washington, DC June 29, 2015 The United States is deeply disappointed that the government of Burundi moved forward with parliamentary elections today despite woefully inadequate conditions for them to be credible, disregarding the strong urging of the African Union, the UN Secretary General and many other voices calling for a delay. We call on President Nkurunziza to place the welfare of his country and people ahead of his wish to serve a third term by heeding the calls for dialogue and demonstrating respect for the Arusha Agreement, including its provisions on term limits. We urge the Burundian government to return to the table and to participate seriously in the political dialogue facilitated by UN Special Representative Bathily, AU Special Envoy Fall, and their East African Community and International Conference on the Great Lakes Region colleagues. We want all stakeholders to reach consensus on new electoral dates and find a political solution for this crisis. The United States supports the AU’s decision not to send electoral observers in recognition that free, fair and credible elections are impossible given the current security situation and the closure of political and media space. We share the AU’s concern about the hardships facing the people of Burundi and urge President Nkurunziza to cooperate fully with the AU and regional organizations to resolve the current crisis and enable credible elections to go forward at a later date. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Stay connected with the State Department:   External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.  Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of State. This email was sent to wanabidii@googlegroups.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520