The election brings to end the rule of President Pierre Nkurunziza who was elected in 2005 following the end of Burundi’s civil war. Ndayishimiye, chosen by the ruling CNDD-FDD to stand as their candidate, is widely expected to replace Nkurunziza as president.

Ndayishimiye faces six other candidates and Agathon Rwasa of the CNL party is considered the nearest contender. The CNL has already complained about several irregularities on polling day.

The CNL party accused CNDD-FDD supporters of voting on behalf of deceased people, prisoners and refugees. The opposition said the ruling party was using its youth wing, the Imbonerakure, to intimidate voters and detain its polling agents. Some 5.1 million Burundians were eligible to vote in 14,778 polling stations.

Authorities in Burundi cut access to social media networks early on Wednesday morning. NetBlocks.org, an organisation monitoring internet shutdowns, analysed traffic from Burundi’s three major internet providers and determined that access to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp had been restricted. Access to YouTube and Google was also intermittently restricted, NetBlocks.org said.

The social media shutdown was “planned”, said opposition leader Rwasa, according to Iwacu. “It’s not WhatsApp which votes, it’s Burundians. There’s no point in cutting communications,” Rwasa told journalists.

The election campaigning period was characterised by increasing political violence and concerns about the spread of Covid-19.

Provisional results are expected on 25-26 May and if no candidate achieves a majority a second round of voting will take place on 19 June.

This article was first published by rfi on May 20, 2020.