BUJUMBURA
President Pierre Nkurunziza warned of impending attacks by Al-Shabaab militant group in Burundi and other Eastern African nations on Sunday.
Meanwhile it was also reported that he won't oppose poll delay. "However, it is up to the independent electoral commission to determine whether the elections are to be postponed," Willy Nyamitwe, Nkurunziza's aide for communications, said during a press conference in capital Bujumbura's presidential palace on Sunday.
"The presidency will ensure that the elections are organized in a manner that upholds the constitution."
Nyamitwe went on to assert that Burundi's ruling party will not replace Nkurunziza as its official presidential candidate.
Nyamitwe's statements came after a brief speech by Nkurunziza, whose appearance at the press conference was the first since he averted a failed coup attempt against his rule by former intelligence chief Godefroid Niyombare.
The press conference came three days after Nkurunziza's return from Tanzania following the failure of the coup attempt.
Burundi has been rocked by protests since late April, when the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy named Nkurunziza – in power since 2005 – its candidate for June presidential polls.
Dozens have been killed in protests and clashes since the protests broke out since Nkurunziza announced plans to seek a third term in office in late April.
The country's opposition says Nkurunziza does not have the right to seek a third term, citing Burundi's constitution, which limits the number of terms a president can serve to two.
However, Burundi's Constitutional Court has ruled that Nkurunziza's third-term bid would not violate the constitution.
The court ruled that, since he was elected in 2005 by parliament and not by the people, Nkurunziza's first stint in office should not be counted as his first presidential term.
