Burundi cannot hold elections in May or June: Tanzanian FM

Tanzanian government said on Friday that strife-torn Burundi cannot hold polls recently due to security concerns.

"We don't entertain any idea of polls this month or in June," Bernard Membe, Tanzania's Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told a news conference in Dar es Salaam.

Membe said Burundi was still in tense despite the failed attempted coup against the government of President Pierre Nkurunziza who is reported to have finally returned to Bujumbura after nearly two days of a nightmare stay in Dar es Salaam.

"I can now confirm that Nkurunziza is back to his country but I have no details of how and when he reached there," said Membe.

Membe said although the troubled country was expected to go for parliamentary and presidential elections on May 26 and June 26 respectively, elections were not possible now because of the volatile security situation.

"In any country when there is a coup or an attempted one, it is followed by a period of uncertainty due to insecurity, instability and fears," he said, adding that the East African Community (EAC) desires to see the country return to normalcy.

Membe said since President Nkurunziza's tenure ends on August 26, the East African leaders may propose that the early-awaited polls in Burundi be held sometimes in July.

"July may be convenient if the dust would have settled down," Membe said, adding that the EAC ministers will meet in Arusha next Monday to review the security situation there which, according to him, remained tense.

He said that the refugees who have entered Tanzania from Burundi since the political strife began had reached 120,000 by Friday.

"This means Burundi is not only losing its work force but voters as well," he said. Endi