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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.

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“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.

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“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.

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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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GWL to embark on revenue mobilization in Northern, Savannah Regions from Nov 1 to Dec 31

The management of Ghana Water Limited (GWL) in the Northern and Savannah Regions has announced a revenue mobilization exercise aimed at retrieving outstanding arrears and addressing illegal connections.

The exercise, which will run from November 1 to December 31, 2024, seeks to detect self-reconnections and eliminate the unauthorized use of in-line booster pumps.

“The management of Ghana Water Limited (GWL) Northern/Savannah Regions, wishes to inform the public and its valued customers that it will embark on a revenue mobilization exercise in the Northern and Savannah Regions from 1st November to 31st December 2024.

“This exercise aims to retrieve all outstanding arrears owed by customers, identify and address illegal connections, detect self-reconnections, and eliminate the unauthorized use of in-line booster pumps,” GWL said in a statement.

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GWL urged all customers to promptly settle their arrears through its official online channels or at designated pay points across the two regions to avoid service disruptions.

Click here to read the statement by GWL

Read below the statement by GWL

Source: citinewsroom.com

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Election 2024: NMC to launch app to combat misinformation

The National Media Commission (NMC) says it is set to outdoor a media watch app to combat misinformation and disinformation ahead of the general elections.

According to the NMC, the initiative aims to enable journalists and citizens to capture real-time suspicious activities at polling stations for prompt action.

Speaking after a forum organised by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) on the theme “Moderating the Airwaves for Peaceful and Credible Elections 2024,” Executive Secretary for NMC, George Sarpong believes the initiative will be a crucial tool in promoting peaceful elections and enhancing the safety of journalists.

He explained that the app will be a game-changer that is expected to offer accurate information at various polling stations across Ghana.

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“This is going to be a game-changer in the sense that it is going to offer us very accurate information about what is happening around the country about the elections.

“And then in terms of the electoral results, if anybody who is at any polling station at the time we are declaring the results, films and submits this, the system can verify the authenticity of what has been submitted.

“We believe that if there is any dispute regarding any incident, this will offer very efficient evidence for anybody interested in understanding exactly what happened there and to address it.

Source: citinewsroom.com

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