Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza on Monday signed a decree launching campaigns for the constitutional referendum scheduled for 17 May.
The presidential decree stipulated that the campaign period will run from 1 May to May 14, after which any campaign activity will be prohibited.
It also noted that only political parties and independent people registered with the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) are allowed to hold campaign meetings.
The decree also indicated that state media can be used for the campaign during the campaign period, adding that the National Media Council will ensure that campaigners will have equal access to the state media.
Nkurunziza warned campaigners against making defamatory remarks and insults.
Around 5 million Burundian citizens registered for the upcoming constitutional referendum and the general elections in the combined registration, according to NIEC.
The draft constitution, which doesn’t ban the current president to run again in 2020, extends the presidential term from five years provided in the 2005 constitution to seven years, and allows the president to serve two consecutive terms.
For the referendum to be passed, it requires a margin of victory of more than 50 percent.
