Elections for women representatives in Parliament kicked-off at different polling centres upcountry on time yesterday.

In Huye district, elections started at 9.45AM at the Groupe Scolaire de la Providence. At least 170 members of the Electoral College made up of women committees at the Sector and district level, and members of the district council were expected to cast their ballots. At the Huye polling centre, members of the Electoral College had by 9.00PM made up the 2/3 quorum required to vote. 

Fatu Harerimana, the deputy chairperson of the National Electoral Commission, explained that results from all the districts in the Province would be compiled at the Provincial level (the polling station) after which six best candidates would be selected to represent the Province.

"We decided to use districts as polling centres to ease the burden of having to transport all voters to one place so as to enable them to vote. After 3.00PM (closing time for polling) we shall gather all the results from the districts so as to determine the six best candidates,” said Harerimana.

Voting started at 10.30 AM after the swearing of election officials. There was remarkable presence of election observers from COMESA, EU, Civil Society and agents of the different candidates.

According to Marie Louise Yankurije, a member of the Electoral College from Gishamvu Sector, women representatives should strive to advocate for women’s rights.

"I want our representatives to Parliament to address issues like domestic violence. Many women suffer silently in their homes. They need someone to speak out for them,” said Yankurije after casting her ballot.

There are 24 women candidates vying for parliamentary slots in the Province. Only six of them will make it to the August House.

Elections in Gicumbi District were held at Hotel Urumuli, while in Rulindo district, they were held at Nyirangarama Hotel. The elections kicked off at mid-day in Gicumbi and in Rulindo an hour earlier.

There were 23 contenders for the women’s seats from all the five Districts of Northern Province, from which the best four would qualify to represent the entire Province.

Richard Gakwerere, of Gicumbi District Electoral Commission said the powers to announce the results of the women’s polls are retained by the National Electoral Commission.

"All the area districts electoral commission officials will forward the results to the Provincial head office, which in turn will send the results to the National Electoral Commission to announce the first four successful candidates,” said Gakwerere.

In Musanze District, the elections to end the hotly contested seats were delayed for hours before members made the quorum needed to start voting. The Electoral College was composed of 180 members.

The campaign attracted 23 candidates from which four would be elected to represent women in the Northern Province. At the polling station, Justin Bigirumwami, the district Electoral Commission president cautioned the voters against contravening the election procedures and guidelines.

Present at the polling station were African Union observers among them Burundi’s Speaker of Parliament, Pio Ntabyohanyuma and European Union (EU) observers among others.

BY PAUL NTAMBARA AMBROSE GAHENE AND BONNY MUKOMBOZI.