A constitutional referendum was held in Burundi on February 28, 2005 to approve the draft new constitution for the country. The Constitution was approved by 92% of the vote [1] and entered into force on March 18, 2005.
Content
New Constitution
The proposed draft Transitional Constitution of the Republic of Burundi of the Post-Transition Period guaranteed the two main ethnic groups of Burundi Hutu and Tutsi quotas in parliament, government and the army. Previously, the Tutsis dominated.
- The ethnic composition of the National Assembly of Burundi was established as follows: 60% Hutu, 40% Tutsi and 3 additional seats for the ethnic Twa group.
- The Senate of Burundi was divided in half between the Hutus and the Tutsi, three seats were also reserved for the Twa.
- Military posts were divided equally between the Hutus and the Tutsi.
- The president was elected during the general election. Presidential powers are limited to two terms.
Campaign
Most political parties called for a vote to pass a new constitution. Only a few Tutsi parties were opposed, believing that the Constitution did not give the Tutsi enough guarantees.
Results
| Yes or no | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 2 607 852 | 92.02% |
| Not | 226,235 | 7.98% |
| Invalid votes | 60,285 | -% |
| Total votes | 3 132 494 | 100.00% |
| Turnout | 92.40% | |
| Source: African Election Archive | ||
Notes
- ↑ Elections in Burundi African Elections Database