Bujumbura, Oct 16 (IANS): The Burundian Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) on Tuesday announced the timetable for the country's 2025 legislative, district and village-based elections.

The announcement was made during a meeting held by the electoral commission with key stakeholders, including representatives of political parties, government officials and diplomats accredited to Burundi.

"In the presentation, we showed participants the voter registration centers, which will later become polling stations. We also shared the electoral timetable and the voter registration period," CENI Chairman Peosper Ntahorwamiye told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting.

According to Ntahorwamiye, the legislative elections and the election of district councilors will be combined and held on June 5, 2025.

The senatorial election is scheduled for July 23, 2025, while village-based elections will take place on August 25, 2025.

A 21-day electoral campaign period has been planned for each of these elections. The campaign for legislative and district elections will run from May 12 to June 2, 2025. The senatorial campaign will take place from June 30 to July 20, 2025, and the campaign for village-based elections will be held from August 2-22, 2025.

"We asked political party representatives to help encourage widespread voter participation. We also urged administrative authorities to facilitate candidates' access to the necessary documentation for their election bids," Ntahorwamiye said, adding that voter registration will take place from October 22-31, 2024.

Burundi's last general elections were held in 2020. Under the 2018 national constitution, lawmakers, district councilors and village councilors are elected for a five-year term, while the president is elected for a seven-year term, Xinhua news agency reported.

As a result, the next presidential election in Burundi will be held in 2027.