UNITED NATIONS — A U.N. observer mission concluded Thursday that this week’s parliamentary elections in Burundi were not “free, credible and inclusive.”

A preliminary statement from the observers said the electoral process took place “in a tense political crisis” and “fundamental freedoms of participation, assembly, expression, opinion and information” suffered increasing restrictions during the campaign and as Monday’s election approached.

The mission noted that the African Union and two regional organizations expressed similar concerns.

Burundi has been hit by violence since the April announcement that President Pierre Nkurunziza would run for a third term in presidential elections set for July 15. Protesters say Nkurunziza must go because the constitution limits the president to two terms, but the president’s supporters say he is eligible for a third term because he was chosen by lawmakers – and not popularly elected – for his first term.

The U.N. Security Council was briefed Thursday on Burundi by the U.N. special representative for Central Africa, the assistant secretary-general for human rights and the deputy head of the U.N. observer mission.

The Security Council authorized the U.N. mission to observe all elections in Burundi and the statement said it will continue to watch the remaining elections. From its arrival on Jan. 1, the mission said it observed media freedom restrictions and violations of human rights and other fundamental freedoms.

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