Editor,

Reference is made to the article, "ICGLR wants Burundi elections postponed” (The New Times, May 19).

Constitutionalism is an ideal presupposed by the will of people—that is it! One would define democracy as such, if you like, because democracy stands for government by the people, where supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them. Only when these fundamental principles are in existence a country can then think about electoral processes.

This is perhaps the agenda that the ICGLR is putting forward.

In the case of Burundi, the current leadership falls short of the will of the people, and so there cannot be democracy emanating from an electoral process in the current situation.

You cannot have a segment of people in the streets denouncing the top most leadership and conduct an election at the same time. It does not matter how many they are and which geographical zones they represent.

It is true that the current President was democratically elected to the high office by a landslide.

The question is, why then is it that those who put him into power are protesting against him?

Constitutionalism would not, and shall not be an issue if the will of people is upheld.

Abdul Kanoti