Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza insisted today he would run for a third term in an election in June, defying international pressure to change his mind in a crisis that has sparked deadly protests.
A day after the Constitutional Court ruled he could stand for another term, Nkurunziza said it would be "the last mandate" he would seek, and offered to release those jailed during the recent unrest if the opposition movement ends its protests.
"There is no other solution to this crisis except to hold an election," Nkurunziza said in a televised speech.
"If the people of Burundi put their trust in us, it will be the last mandate I seek, as determined by the Constitutional Court," Nkurunziza added.
Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority who has been in power since 2005, has come under intense international pressure to withdraw from the June 26 election.
The speech came a day after the Constitutional Court cleared his bid to stay in power after its vice-president fled citing "enormous pressure and even death threats" from senior figures to rubberstamp the president's candidature.
Nkurunziza's supporters say he is eligible to run again since his first term in office followed his election by parliament -- not directly by the people as the constitution specifies.
But the opposition has vowed to continue protesting, even though 14 people have been killed and nearly 600 arrested in days of unrest.
