Polls in Africa are exercises in democratic fiction

The failure of Burundi peace talks to take off this week should worry Africa. President Pierre Nkurunziza has distinguished himself as the reigning bad boy of Eastern Africa. This has not been without the abatement of his continental peers. Africa’s ruling class looked on tight-lipped as Burundi’s pot began boiling over, about this time last year. Nkurunziza, to the dismay of many, announced that he would be in the presidential race later in 2015. That was contrary to wide expectation. It was understood that he was coming to the end of a statutory second and final term, in accord with the peace agreement that rescued his country from the brink in 2005.

Nkurunziza, however, had other ideas and plans. He argued that his first term had been achieved not by popular vote, but through election by Parliament. He was therefore entitled to a second term by popular vote, making it three terms. Clearly, there was a loophole in the peace accord. Nkurunziza has exploited it to his advantage and to the detriment of his country.