Ban Ki-Moon Calls for Credible Elections in Burundi

UNITED NATIONS, January 3 (Sputnik) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has stressed that credible elections in Burundi are crucial for stability and has welcomed the start of the United Nations Electoral Observation Mission in the country.

With elections in Burundi set to take place in the middle of 2015, the United Nations said in a statement Friday that Ban Ki-moon is "pleased" that the UN Electoral Observation Mission, "to be known by the French acronym of MENUB, officially started work on January 1, 2015".

The statement added that the UN Secretary General stressed "that peaceful and credible elections are critical for the people of Burundi", expressing hope "that all Burundians will seize this opportunity to consolidate peace and stability in their country".

MENUB is headed by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Cassam Uteem of Mauritius.

According to the United Nations, the observation mission is tasked with following and reporting on the presidential, parliamentary and local elections that are scheduled to take place in Burundi between May and September of this year.