Burundi: Observation of the Constitutional Referendum 2005 (continued)
A few times there were more than one voter in the voting booth. Answers COSOME observers received to the question, "how many times did you see more than one voter in a booth?" were as follows:
| Province | Once | More than once |
|---|---|---|
| Bujumbura rural | 18 | 16 |
| Bujumbura-Mairie | 10 | 13 |
| Cibitoke | 15 | 15 |
| Gitega | 11 | 23 |
| Karusi | 6 | 8 |
| Muramvya | 4 | 10 |
| Makamba | 6 | 8 |
| Bubanza | 5 | 19 |
| Muyinga | 5 | 5 |
| Kirundo | 8 | 12 |
| Kayanza | 6 | 4 |
| Bururi | 6 | 7 |
| Cankuzo | 0 | 5 |
| Ruyigi | 6 | 3 |
| Rutana | 1 | 10 |
| Ngozi | 5 | 9 |
| Kirundo | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 117 | 172 |
It should be noted that not all the observers answered this question. Those who did answer the question stated clearly that some disorganization could be observed in the polling stations. In 117 cases COSOME saw more than one voter in the booth "once"; in 172 cases they saw more than one voter in a booth "more than once".
Behavior of security agents
In general security agents behaved well, but it is necessary to mention some cases where these agents did not fulfill their mission well:
- In Ngozi the soldiers beat a voter because he refused to transport the voting material to a polling station.
- In Kiriri-Vugizo a police officer threatened an electoral officer.
- In Bujumbura soldiers wanted to enter the polling stations with weapons. Some refused to leave the weapons outside and ended up voting with the weapons despite electoral officers' refusal.
- Soldiers walked around polling stations, frightening voters in some areas.
- In Kiriri-Vugizo (Bujumbura-city) a soldier and a police officer refused to enter the booth and held up the black ballot asking aloud where it had to be cast.
- In Rugazi (Bubanza), police officers beat voters waiting in the queue.