AFRICA/BURUNDI - Referendum on the Constitution: “The majority is expected to approve the new draft” local sources tell Fides

Monday, 28 February 2005

Bujumbura (Fides Service)- “So far all is quiet, people are going to the polls to vote in an orderly manner” a local source said in Bujumbura capital of Burundi where a referendum on the country’s new Constitution is being held at last after being postponed several times (see Fides 1 October, 15 and 16 December 2004).
The new constitution foresees a breakdown seats in parliament according to ethnic origin: 40% of the seats for the Tutsi (14% of the population) and 60% for the Hutu (85% of the population).
“The majority of voters are expected to vote in favour of the new constitution” the source told Fides. “A victory for ‘no’ is highly unlikely because it would mean the arrest of the national reconciliation process. In fact the political parties are in agreement over the new Constitution. The real battle will be for legislative and presidential elections scheduled be held within the coming two months. However, it is already important that the sides in Burundi managed to agree on the Constitution, that is, on the rules of the game of democracy”.
Since 1993 Burundi has been in a state of civil war between the mainly Tutsi government army and various Hutu rebel groups. No less that 300,000 people have been killed. In 2000 in Arusha, Tanzania the sides came to a political agreement to form an interim government including all the main parties in Burundi except guerrilla groups with 18 months of Tutsi presidency and Hutu vice presidency and then vice versa for the next 18 months. Only an agreement signed in Dar es Salaam in 2003, between the government and the FDD, opened the way for peace. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/2/2005 righe 28 parole 325)


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