In contrast to the violent turmoil racking their country, Burundians are largely united in their support for democracy and fair elections and their rejection of authoritarian alternatives, according to the most recent Afrobarometer survey in September-October 2014.
In particular, Burundians value democracy as the protection of civil liberties and personal freedom and as peace, unity, and power-sharing – all of which are threatened by the country’s current political crisis.
A majority of Burundians also favour limiting presidential terms to a maximum of two – a contentious issue that helped spark the country’s violent crisis when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to seek, and then claimed, a controversial third term.
Burundians’ views on democracy, term limits, and support from the African Union (AU) and the East African Community (EAC) are detailed in Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 68.
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