The East African Community leaders call for delay of Burundi elections

The emergency summit of the East African Community (EAC) heads of state on Monday called on Burundi to delay its general election by two more weeks until July 30 to give room for bringing together two conflicting parties in finding consensus.

The elections were scheduled to be held on July 15.

At the end of their summit held in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, the EAC leaders appointed Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to mediate talks between the two rival parties.

Political unrest erupted in Burundi in April after the ruling party CNDD-FDD announced that incumbent President Pierre Nkurunziza would run for another term in the coming elections.

The announcement sparked protests from the opposition and other citizens who argued that the president was acting contrary to the country's constitution and the Arusha peace accord that ended a 13- year long civil strife.

A communique read by EAC Secretary General Richard Sezibera said the summit agreed that after the general election, the government to be elected should respect the Arusha peace accord.

The summit was attended by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the current chairman of the EAC, and President Museveni of Uganda.

Nkurunziza sent his foreign minister to attend the summit on his behalf, Kenya and Rwanda were also represented by high level officials.

Sezibera said the EAC leaders also resolved that the government of Burundi should disarm armed youths allied to political parties and the African Union should urgently deploy observers to verify the disarmament.

"The EAC leaders also agreed that whoever wins in the next elections in Burundi should form a government of national unity that will also take into account special seats in parliament for all parties," said Sezibera.

The summit was a follow-up to resolutions made during the second emergency summit of the EAC heads of state which was also held in Dar es Salaam in May.

Nkurunziza, who stayed in Burundi to lead his presidential campaign, has previously dismissed all previous calls for poll delays.

In May, the regional leaders urged elections in Burundi should be delayed by at least one month and called for an end to the violence that has killed scores of people and forced over 100,000 to flee to neighboring countries, including Tanzania.