Burundi: No Limits

BURUNDI

No Limits

Citizens in the small east African nation of Burundi voted Thursdayto decide whether to amend the nation’s constitution to allow current strongman President Pierre Nkurunziza, in power since 2005, to extend his term to 2034, the Wall Street Journal reported.

While in power, Nkurunziza has cracked down on opposition groups and the press. The situation in Burundi, the world’s third-poorest nation, has become increasingly violent since 2015, when Nkurunziza ignored the nation’s two-term limit on presidents and remained in office, citing his God-given right to do so.

The political crisis has led to 1,200 deaths since 2015, and more than 400,000 have fled to neighboring countries, human rights organizations estimate.

The measure is likely to pass, which would extend terms from five to seven years, and allow any president who’d previously served two consecutive terms to run again after sitting one out, the Journal reported.

It’s an observable trend across Africa: Although 18 countries on the continent have imposed term limits, 10 have done away with them, including Rwanda and Uganda.