Claim: Burundi kicks out top WHO official in country ahead of vote.
Verdict: SUPPORTS

Retrieved passages:
title: 2018 Burundian constitutional referendum
text: to pass legislation. In December 2017, Nkurunziza threatened people not to campaign against the proposed changes. The official campaign window opened two weeks before the referendum. Prior to the referendum, the BBC and Voice of America were banned from the country for six months. Radio France Internationale (RFI) received a "warning" about its coverage. On 11 May, at least 26 people were killed in Cibitoke Province, allegedly by militiamen from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Burundian opposition coalition, Conseil National pour le Respect de l'Accord d'Arusha pour la paix et la Réconciliation au Burundi et la Restauration de

title: Burundian unrest (2015–present)
text: which is diplomatically protected. Opposition groups announced on 26 June that they would boycott the election. On 27 June, "a group of unidentified young people" set fire to a building in Ntega district where ballot boxes and voting booths were being kept, destroying some of them. There were also two grenade attacks in Bujumbura, but there were no injuries. Pie Ntavyohanyuma, the President of the National Assembly, fled to Belgium on 28 June 2015, citing the unrest and his opposition to Nkurunziza's third term bid. He said that when he told Nkurunziza that he should not run, "his answer was

title: Burundi
text: commission to resolve any disputes that might arise during the peace negotiations. Refugee camps are now closing down and 450,000 refugees have returned. The economy of the country is shattered – Burundi has one of the lowest per capita gross incomes in the world. With the return of refugees, amongst others, property conflicts have started. Burundi now participates in African Union peacekeeping missions, including the mission to Somalia against Al-Shabaab militants. In April 2015 protests broke out after the ruling party announced President Pierre Nkurunziza would seek a third term in office. Protestors claimed Nkurunziza could not run for a

title: 2010 Burundian presidential election
text: all parties to ensure a smooth and democratic election. In the FNL bastion of Kanyosha, only a handful of voters turned out to vote, compared to hundreds who voted in the local council elections a month before. The chair of an international observation mission, Lydie Nzengou, affirmed during the day that the turnout was much lower. Following the elections, Rwasa went into hiding due to speculation that the government wanted to arrest him on charges of planning a new insurgency. He was quoted as saying that "They're [the government] looking for me because I told the truth, because I said

title: 2015 Burundian presidential election
text: of voters to be held "hostage" by a small "radical minority" who opposed holding the election on schedule. Although the opposition candidates pulled out of the race and called for a boycott, their names remained on ballot papers. The electoral commission announced on 24 July 2015 that Nkurunziza had won the election with 69.41% of the vote. Agathon Rwasa was placed second and credited with 18.99% despite calling for a boycott. The CNDD-FDD described Nkurunziza's re-election as a "stunning victory" and a "divine miracle". Nkurunziza was sworn in for his third term a few days early, on 20 August 2015.

title: 2010 Burundian presidential election
text: Forces (FNL) were brought into the legal political sphere and were said to be the incumbent Pierre Nkurunziza's most viable opposition. However, as a result of a campaign of intimidation in the run up to the vote, as well as alleging fraud in earlier local elections, all the other candidates withdrew from the ballot leaving only Nkurunziza. On 1 June 2010, five opposition candidates, including Agathon Rwasa, who was considered the strongest contender, withdrew from the elections, alleging that the government intended to rig it. Following further similarities with Rwanda, ethnic tensions between Tutsi and Hutu were seen in the

title: 2015 Burundian presidential election
text: the entire opposition, including key opposition candidate Agathon Rwasa, calling for a boycott, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for another postponement on the same day, "in order to create a conducive environment for inclusive, peaceful and transparent elections", and he urged dialogue between the government and the opposition. Albert Shingiro, Burundi's Permanent Representative to the UN, rejected the notion of postponing the vote again. He argued that it was constitutionally necessary to hold the vote as planned and that to do otherwise would mean an "institutional vacuum", and he said that it would be unacceptable for the overwhelming majority

title: Pierre Nkurunziza
text: had won the election with 69.41% of the vote with a low voter turnout, the participation rate was under 30%. Agathon Rwasa was placed second and credited with 18.99% despite calling for a boycott. Nkurunziza was sworn in for his third term on 20 August 2015. Speaking on the occasion, he described his re-election as "a victory of all Burundians". He vowed that if his enemies continued to pursue violence, they would be beaten with the aid of God and "scattered like flour thrown into the air". By December 2015 over 300 people had been killed, about 215,000 others had

title: 2015 Burundian legislative election
text: ensure a 60-40 split between Hutus and Tutsis, and a 30% quota for female MPs. The Senate is elected by colleges of local councillors, with three Twa members appointed and more members co-opted to ensure a 50-50 split between Hutus and Tutsis and a 30% quota for female Senators. Sixteen lists of parties, coalitions and independents contested the elections. Seventeen opposition parties announced on 26 June that they would boycott both the parliamentary election and the subsequent presidential election. The African Union announced on 28 June that its election observers would not observe the parliamentary election scheduled for the next

title: 2015 Burundian legislative election
text: and Anicet Niyongabo, a UPRONA Senator, was elected as Second Vice-President. 2015 Burundian legislative election Parliamentary elections were held in Burundi on 29 June 2015. The vote had been initially set for 5 June 2015, alongside local elections, but it was delayed due to unrest. Indirect elections to the Senate occurred on 24 July. In the previous legislative election in 2010, the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy won a large majority. The election was boycotted by most opposition parties following claims of fraud in the local elections held on 24

title: 2015 Burundian legislative election
text: seats. The main opposition leader, Agathon Rwasa, said that 20 deputies from his party, the National Forces of Liberation (FNL), would take up their seats, but Charles Nditije of the Union for National Progress (UPRONA) said that the 10 UPRONA deputies would not. Nditije said that it would be "impossible to take seats" considering that they had boycotted the election. On 30 July 2015, Pascal Nyabenda, the President of the CNDD-FDD, was elected as President of the National Assembly. Agathon Rwasa was elected as First Vice-President and Edouard Nduwimana, who had been Minister of the Interior, as Second Vice-President. There

title: 2015 Burundian legislative election
text: closed all of the country's universities and government officials publicly referred to the protesters as "terrorists". Since late April tens of thousands of people have fled the country, hundreds of people have been arrested and several protesters and police have been killed while dozens more have been injured. On 13 May, a coup was announced, led by Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare, while President Nkurunziza was in Tanzania attending an emergency conference about the situation in the country. By the next day the coup collapsed and government forces reasserted control. The elections were originally planned to be held 26 May, but

title: Burundi
text: third term in office but the country's constitutional court agreed with the President (although some of its members had fled the country at the time of its vote). An attempted coup d'état on 13 May failed to depose Nkurunziza. Despite calls by the United Nations, the African Union, the United States, France, South Africa, Belgium, and various other governments, the ruling party held parliamentary elections on 29 June, but these were boycotted by the opposition. On 30 September 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council established the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi through resolution 33/24. Its mandate is to "conduct

title: 2018 Burundian constitutional referendum
text: l'Etat de Droit (CNARED) called on the Burundian population to boycott the vote which it accused of being the "death warrant" of the Arusha Accords of 2000 which ended the Burundian Civil War. A Presidential decree threatens three years' imprisonment for anyone convicted of encouraging people not to vote. Reports from polling stations say some people were being forced to vote to avoid being beaten or arrested. Suspected opponents were "killed, raped, abducted, beaten, and intimidated," Human Rights Watch said in a statement, adding it had documented at least 15 killings, six rapes and eight abductions during voting day. 2018

title: 2015 Burundian legislative election
text: seek a third term in office; his supporters argue that his first five-year term should not count because he was elected by a parliamentary vote rather than a popular vote. Widespread demonstrations in the capital, Bujumbura, lasted for over three weeks. During that time the country's highest court approved Nkurunziza's right to run for a third term in office despite the fact that at least one of court's judges fled the country claiming he had received death threats from members of the government. As a result of the protests the government also shut down the country's internet and telephone network,

title: Melchior Ndadaye
text: three other predominately Hutu parties, the Rally for the People of Burundi (RPB), People's Party (PP), and the Liberal Party (PL), face up against the ruling Tutsi-dominated government under Buyoya. With the Hutu the dominant population in Burundi, Ndadaye won a crushing victory, receiving 65% of the vote to Buyoya's 32%. The poll was certified by international observers as being free and fair, and none of the candidates contested the poll. It was followed by success for his party in the legislative elections held later that month, winning 65 of 81 seats. After surviving a failed coup attempt on July

title: Gérard Mfuranzima
text: out of a memorandum of understanding of April 2009 between Burundi and the Netherlands. Gérard Mfuranzima Gérard Mfuranzima (born 31 August 1962 in Mugende in nowadays Karuzi Province), is a Burundian who, from 2011 to 2015, was the Burindian representative for the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA). From 1985, Mfuranzima was a journalist at the Burundi National Radio and Television (RTNB), and was twice Director of National Radio (1993–1995 and 2003–2006). He was expected to assist the Minister of Information in communications and public relations between Parliament and Government, and was government Chief of the Cabinet from 2009

title: National Assembly (Burundi)
text: president of the republic. He took office on 26 August 2005. National Assembly (Burundi) The National Assembly is the lower chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of 100 directly elected members (or deputies) and between 18 and 21 co-opted members who serve five-year terms. Deputies are elected in 17 multi-member constituencies using a party-list proportional representation system in accordance with the d'Hondt method. Political parties and lists of independent candidates must receive over 2% of the vote nationally to gain representation in the National Assembly. As a country that has been devastated by civil war and persistent ethnic violence

title: Burundi
text: Rufyikiri. The "Cour Suprême" (Supreme Court) is Burundi's highest court. There are three Courts of Appeals directly below the Supreme Court. Tribunals of First Instance are used as judicial courts in each of Burundi's provinces as well as 123 local tribunals. Burundi's government has been repeatedly criticized by human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch for the multiple arrests and trials of journalist Jean-Claude Kavumbagu for issues related to his reporting. Amnesty International (AI) named him a prisoner of conscience and called for his "immediate and unconditional release." In April 2009, the government of Burundi changed the law to criminalise

title: Burundian Civil War
text: the first time Burundians had voted since 1994. They voted again in July during the parliamentary elections, postponed from November 2004, in which "the Government of Burundi and the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted a sound election, carried out in an atmosphere of peace and security." The FDD ended up winning the parliamentary elections. Several months later, Pierre Nkurunziza from the Hutu FDD group was elected as president by the two Hutu-dominated houses of parliament. After 12 years of living with a midnight-to-dawn curfew, Burundians were free to stay out late when the curfew was lifted on April 15, 2006,