Registration for Burundian referendum and general elections set in February

BUJUMBURA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Voter registration for Burundi's referendum of the constitution due in May and 2020 general elections will take place on Feb. 8-17, the Burundian electoral commission said Wednesday.

The combined registration of voters for the referendum and the general elections will last 10 days and will be held throughout Burundi's villages, said Prosper Ntahorwamiye, spokesman of the Burundian National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).

He said the operation of registering voters will start at 7:30 a.m. local time and will be closed on 17:30 p.m. local time during the 10 days.

According to him, the Burundian diaspora and those living abroad will register during the same period at embassies and diplomatic missions.

Ntahorwamiye said Burundian soldiers or police officers serving in peacekeeping missions mainly in Somalia or in the Central African Republic will also be registered during the same period at their duty station by agents who will be deployed there.

CENI Chairman Pierre Claver Ndayicariye said in a meeting last week that 3,828 registration centers will open for the voter registration operation throughout the country.

In December 2017, the electoral body said the referendum of the east African country's constitution will be held in May.

The draft constitution extends the presidential term from five years provided in the 2005 constitution to seven years and allows the president to serve two consecutive terms.

It also provides the creation of a post of a prime minister and only one vice-president whereas the 2005 constitution provided two vice-presidents. Enditem