BURUNDI: New interim constitution ushers optimism

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

BUJUMBURA, 3 Nov 2004 (IRIN) - Three days after Burundi's interim constitution came into effect, fighting among the major political parties has not broken out as many people had feared and leaders, who once advocated violence, now agree to submit to the constitutional authority.

"People are relieved to see that the political class has finally reached consensus on the constitution," Victor Hatungimana, a trader at Bujumbura market, said. "Political leaders are the ones who create the problems in this country. If they can learn to agree, then the problems will end."

Hundreds of Burundians in the northern province of Kirundo and the southern province of Makamba recently fled to neighbouring Rwanda and Tanzania because of rumours that fighting would break out if new institutions were not elected by 1 November as scheduled. Some refugees have now started returning home.

The election timetable was postponed in October following an emergency regional summit in Nairobi and a special joint meeting of Burundi's two legislative bodies. The parliamentarians agreed that legislative elections should be held in March 2005, followed by presidential elections in April.

A referendum on a draft constitution would be delayed to 26 November 2004 and, in the interim, it would act as the country's constitution.

Tutsi-dominated parties initially disagreed and their members boycotted the joint session of parliament. However, on 1 November, the day that the transitional constitution ended, the main Tutsi-dominated parties dropped their objections and agreed to abide by the new interim constitution.

"There is no longer a threat of a constitutional void as people were dreading," President Domitien Ndayizeye said on Monday in state broadcast media.

The country's institutions will be in place until elections in 2005.

The new constitution lays out power sharing for the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups at a ratio of 60-to-40, respectively. It stipulates that the country have two vice-presidents; the previous transitional constitution stipulated only one.

The organisation of the military will undergo drastic change. Doors will open to what has been an army dominated by Tutsis. Many former combatants, particularly Hutus, will be able to join.

Tutsi-dominated parties had little choice but to accept the interim constitution, Alphonse Rugambarara, chairman of Inkizo, one of the Tutsi-dominated parties, said on Tuesday on Isanganiro, a local radio station.

"We either accepted it or resigned from the country institutions," he said.

However, he said Inkizo would still try to get amendments made to the final constitution before it came into effect.

[ENDS]