Referendum postponed because of delayed voter list

A referendum on Burundi's constitution, set for 22 December, has been postponed for a third time; the new date is yet to be determined. Voter lists will not be available on time, explained Paul Ngarambe, chairman of the National Independent Electoral Commission. He announced the postponements on Tuesday at Bujumbura Airport where he also received the first shipment of voting materials, which were donated by South Africa. "[An electoral list] is an important element [in the voting process] to avoid fraud and ensure free and fair elections," Ngarambe said. "We must publish the lists to give citizens an opportunity to check possible errors or fraud," Ngarambe said. Technically, the list of voters can only be published by 18 December, he said. According to the current interim constitution, the list needs to be made public 15 days before the referendum. Ngarambe urged all political parties to verify the lists that are to also serve for elections scheduled for next year. Burundi is in the last phase of a transitional process, established under the Peace and Reconciliation Accord signed in August 2000 in Arusha, Tanzania. The referendum, which is on Burundi's post-transitional constitution, was initially scheduled for 26 October then postponed because of what electoral officials called 'logistic constraints'. Ngarambe did not indicate whether or not postponing the referendum would affect the date of general elections set for April 2005. In November, a UN Security Council delegation that toured the Great Lakes region urged the government of Burundi to adhere to the electoral timetable.