Burundi's opposition rejects new election date

Burundi's opposition has rejected a proposal issued on Monday by the electoral commission to delay presidential polls to July 15, saying the current commission is "illegal" to make decisions as two of its five commissioners resigned early this month.

"The new election schedule doesn't mean anything to us because it was prepared by an electoral commission which is illegal considering many factors," said Frederic Bamvuginyumvira, vice- chairman of the Front for Democracy in Burundi -- a member of the opposition coalition Democrats' Alliance for Change.

Bamvuginyumvira said the current National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) is "not entitled" to make any decision as the vacancy of the two commissioners violates Article 90 of Burundi's constitution that provides its composition.

"Two out of the five CENI members resigned last week and fled the country fearing for their security. The CENI must be composed of men and women from all ethnic groups, but now with the resignation of the two Tutsi women, the CENI is now made up of three men, all of them Hutus. This means that the CENI is illegal and cannot therefore take any decision," he told Xinhua.

A meeting over the new dates for the elections was held before the CENI announced the proposal, attended by the ruling party and mainly its allies, while boycotted by major opposition groups.

The commission suggests the presidential polls held on July 15, the parliamentary elections on June 26 and the senator elections on July 24 -- a timetable that is yet to be approved by the president.

Bamvuginyumvira stressed that the opposition is ready to participate in elections that will be held in a favorable climate and prepared by a legal institution.

Burundi has been in turmoil since April 25 when President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in power since 2005, announced that he will run for a third term in the upcoming elections, despite warnings at home and abroad.

Clashes between protesters and police, mainly in the capital Bujumbura, have left more than 30 dead, according to Burundi's civil society groups.

Opponents say Nkurunziza's decision violates the constitution that limits the president to two terms in office.

His supporters however argue that his first term does not count as he was appointed by parliament, not elected by people.

A summit on Burundi crisis that brought together East African leaders in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, on May 31, urged a delay of at least six weeks to the elections. Endi