Burundi’s President to Extend His Rule!

Week after week, African leaders seem to always be in the spotlight, and often, for all the wrong reasons.

From Zimbabwe’s protests that left Robert Mugabe ‘powerless’ only to bring another lot of old leaders, to Nigeria, where a governor appointed his sister minister for happiness. To the eastern part of the continent-Kenya- where the opposition threatened to swear their leader in as president threatening the peace that is hanging on the edge, and now Burundi. It never ends!

On Tuesday, Burundi’s president Pierre Nkurunziza unveiled a campaign calling for constitutional amendments that could see him extend his rule, despite the political tension in the country.

He called on his supporters to vote in favor of the changes, one of which is to review the presidential term, from five years to seven. He was speaking in Gitega province.

The country has been in political turmoil since April 2015, after president Nkurunziza declared he would seek a third term. In May, a coup was thwarted. He went ahead to ‘win’ a re-election in July which was boycotted by the opposition. The opposition has warned that changing the constitution now will result in more violence in the future.

The date for the referendum has not been set, but it is expected next year.

Many Burundians are concerned that after the changes are made law Nkurunziza will seek to run for two more terms totaling to 14 years.

Speaking to The Associated Press, the country's most prominent opposition leader, Agathon Rwasa said: "it's clear that Nkurunziza is aiming at remaining in office for life."

In 2015, Nkurunziza said he was eligible for a third term. He argued that he got his first term by an act of law, and not through elections. He is due to leave office in 2020.