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UN Reports 65 Per Cent Turnout As Burundians Vote in Peace

Posted on: Tuesday, 5 July 2005, 03:00 CDT

Text of report by Radio France Internationale on 5 July

The first results of the legislative elections in Burundi will be known in the course of today morning. For the moment the only available figures are those of the turnout, which is about 65 per cent, according to the UN. It is less than last month's turnout for the commune elections in which eight out of 10 voters turned out.

Burundians feared violence from the FNL [rebel National Liberation Front] but the remaining rebel group did not disrupt yesterday's elections. Its leader Agathon Rwasa wrote to his men to urge them to rest their guns during the elections. This was confirmed by Carolyne McAskie, the UN secretary-general's special envoy in Burundi when she spoke to Jean-Pierre Monza [phonetic]

[McAskie] The international community as well as Burundians have worked hard these last few day, so have the regional governments.

We were constantly in touch with the FNL, especially the last few days. On Friday [1 July] we had their confirmation that they were going to announce publicly that they were not going to disrupt the elections. On Sunday evening [3 July], pamphlets were circulated in Bujumbura carrying the message sealed and signed by Agathon Rwasa himself, instructing all FNL elements to avoid any acts of intimidation and violence.

This shows that we are right to believe that voting will go on. I believe it will be very important that talks are held with them before the end of the transition period, that is before 19 August and the election of the new president.

[Presenter] Yesterday's voting took place in peace although a soldier was slightly wounded in grenade explosion in Bujumbura. The legislative elections will determine Burundi's future. The MPs will next month elect the president of the republic and that will mark the end of the transition period after 12 years of war.

Source: BBC Monitoring Africa

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