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Burundi voting ends in calm despite fraud allegation

Voting in Burundi’s presidential election passed calmly on Wednesday despite simmering political violence, the coronavirus pandemic and the opposition accusing the authorities of fraud.

In what could be the first competitive presidential election in Burundi since a civil war erupted in 1993, the ruling CNDD-FDD party’s candidate, retired general Evariste Ndayishimiye, is running against opposition leader Agathon Rwasa and five others.

President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose government has repeatedly been accused of rights abuses, will step down after 15 years.

Rwasa said electoral observers from his party were chased away from the polling stations.

“There is a massive electoral fraud. Our representatives, mandated to follow the electoral process to the end, have been chased. So how can you agree on results counted out of your sights?” he told Reuters.

The government did not respond to requests for comment about the fraud accusation.

Last week it expelled the head of the mission in Burundi of the World Health Organisation, who had criticised all parties for holding rallies despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Burundi has reported 42 coronavirus cases and one death. But only 633 tests have been carried out, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The authorities said it was safe to vote despite the disease and called on Burundians to turn out.

“We call on Burundians to vote in massive numbers and vote peacefully. We need good elections,” Dr Pierre Claver Kazihise, chairman of the election commission, said in comments aired by state broadcaster RTNB.

Queues to vote were long in the morning in the main commercial city Bujumbura’s Musaga neighbourhood, where the opposition is popular.

“The voting is really taking place smoothly and I voted for change but I am pessimistic about the counting of votes,” said one resident who did not wish to be identified.

Several voters were worried that Twitter and WhatsApp – messaging services that can spread information quickly – seemed to be shut down.

The election is meant to usher in the first democratic transition in 58 years of independence, after widespread international criticism of the last election in 2015, when Nkurunziza won a third term and the opposition boycotted.

That election sparked violent protests that drove hundreds of thousands of Burundians into exile. The United Nations documented hundreds of killings and the torture and gang-rape of opposition activists. Donors withdrew funding. -Reuters

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Reconstruction of Sunyani-Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile Road Corridor to Begin Under “Big Push” Initiative

The reconstruction of the Sunyani-Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile road corridor is set to begin in the third quarter of this year as part of the government’s “Big Push” initiative,

Kwame Agbodza, the Minister for Roads and Highways, has announced.

To this end, the Minister has directed the Ghana Highways Authority to conduct engineering studies and designs for sections of the corridor that are not currently under construction, in preparation for the upcoming work.

“This entire corridor, all the way to Hamle, is part of the ‘Big Push’ initiative. It is one of the “Big Push” projects we aim to award in June this year. Therefore, those involved in the studies and designs need to expedite their work. We don’t have enough time,” he stated.

Mr. Agbodza made these remarks this morning in Sunyani, at the start of a three-day inspection tour of the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western Regions.

The Minister indicated that government is aware of the socio-economic importance of roads towards national development, which is why road infrastructure development is being prioritized despite the financial constraints facing the country.

“No matter what we want to achieve—whether in farming, education, or healthcare—roads are critical. Our economic development cannot take shape if we do not address the challenges in the road sector,” he stressed.

Earlier, Me. Agbodza and his team of Engineers inspected the 10.20km Terchire bypass located off the Kumasi-Sunyani Highway constructed by Newmont Ghana.

During the tour, Hon. Agbodza is also expected to inspect several other road projects, including the reconstruction of the Jinijini-Sampa Road, the Tepa-Goso road, the Sefwi Wiawso town roads, the reconstruction of the Tarkwa-Agona Nkwanta road, the PTC Interchange project, and the dualization of the Takoradi-Agona Junction Road.

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Mahama assents to Acts abolishing e-levy, betting tax and others

President John Dramani Mahama has fulfilled a key campaign promise by assenting to a set of acts that abolish the betting tax, e-Levy, and emissions tax, among others.

The signing, which has just been completed, in his office marks a major step in his administration’s efforts to reduce the financial burden on Ghanaians and drive economic growth.

The removal of these taxes was a central promise in the NDC’s manifesto aimed at easing the cost of living and encouraging business expansion.

Parliament on Wednesday, March 26, passed a bill to abolish the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).

The repeal of the E-Levy has been widely welcomed by Ghanaians, who strongly opposed the tax.

The levy, which was introduced in 2022 by the previous New Patriotic Party administration, imposed a 1.5% tax on electronic transactions, including mobile money transfers, bank transfers, and online payments.

Since its introduction, there have been protests and public outcry, with critics arguing that it disproportionately affected low-income earners and the unbanked population.

Source: Myjoyonline.com