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| - Burundi presidential candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye is an army general described as a die-hard faithful to the ruling party and observers fear he may remain beholden to the elites who anointed him should he win Wednesday's election. Ndayishimiye, 52, widely known by his nickname "Neva", was in January handpicked by the governing CNDD-FDD party as heir to President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has reigned for a tumultuous 15 years in the tiny landlocked country. Described by those who know him as more open-minded than many in the party, but fiery, he is not associated with the worst abuses of the ruling CNDD-FDD in recent years -- but neither has he stood out as trying to rein in violence that erupted after the last election. Nkurunziza's 2015 election to a third term was seen by many as unconstitutional, and ignited political violence that left 1,200 dead and sparked a refugee exodus. A UN commission later accused the government of gross abuses including executions, rape and torture. Ndayishimiye is secretary general of the ruling party, which has consolidated its power since 2015 by quelling any opposition. Human Rights Watch says the ruling party has used violence and repression to cement its authority and browbeat its opponents, civil society groups and whatever remains of Burundi's free press into silence. The Burundi Human Rights Initiative, a human rights watchdog, said Ndayishimiye's appointment was a compromise between Nkurunziza and a small but powerful cabal of generals who control the levers of government. Nkurunziza had pushed instead for Pascal Nyabenda, the president of the national assembly, and a civilian he thought he could control from afar, the advocacy group said. But the generals wanted a military man and a former comrade from their days as ethnic Hutu rebels fighting against the government during the civil war. They settled on Ndayishimiye, a general who also rose through the ranks during that conflict that ended in 2006, but one outside the innermost circle of confidantes. "He... will have to walk a dangerous tightrope in the high spheres of the ruling party," the Burundi Human Rights Initiative said in an April report. "Whether his primary debt is to Nkurunziza or to the other generals, Ndayishimiye will have to balance competing powerful interests, while ensuring that his own position remains safe." A party official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Ndayishimiye was chosen because he was "faithful, ready to die for his party". But if elected, he "would be between a rock and a hard place" in his early term, kept at arm's-length and beholden to his backers. "He will walk on eggshells in the first few years and will have to wait a long time before he gains some room for manoeuvre," the official said. Ndayishimiye is running against six other candidates. Ndayishimiye had only just begun his studies at the University of Burundi when civil war broke out in 1993 -- a conflict that would rage 13 years and cost at least 300,000 lives. He was in his second year of law school when extremists from the Tutsi ethnic group massacred dozens of Hutu students on campus. The young Ndayishimiye only just escaped, putting down his pen to take up a gun. During the war he rose through the ranks of the CNDD-FDD. In 2003, he was the party's main negotiator in ceasefire negotiations that ended the bloodshed. In the post-war years, Ndayishimiye held several high-tier positions in government, including minister of the interior and public security, and as the president's military and civilian chief of staff. Those who know Ndayishimiye personally describe two sides to the man -- one seemingly honest and open to consensus, but fiery and quick to temper. "He's a rather open-minded man, easy at first, who likes to joke and laugh with his friends," said one friend, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity. "But unlike Nkurunziza, who is a cold-blooded and very sober animal, Evariste Ndayishimiye can be quite angry, and gets carried away very easily, and risks becoming infuriated." One diplomat said Ndayishimiye displayed an "openness and honesty unlike other generals" but would face an uphill battle in power. "He was the best choice, but he will have a lot to do to encourage change and openness to the opposition, in a party dominated by an extremist, sectarian branch" Like Nkurunziza, a born-again evangelical, Ndayishimiye is a fervent believer, but of the Catholic faith. This could help a new administration in reconnecting with the church, which has been outspoken in its criticism of Burundi's sharp democratic backslide since 2015. Observers say his early conciliatory tone could engender some goodwill from the international community, and assist in slowly bringing Burundi in from the diplomatic cold. Ndayishimiye "has sent out signals of openness to the international community, and it is ready to recognise him and to reconnect with him," said a senior ranking diplomat in Bujumbura, the main city. str-cyb/np/fb/jh
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