Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye sacked his vice president today, accusing him of obstructing a peace process aimed at ending the tiny central African country's 10-year civil war, officials said.
The dismissal of Vice President Mr Alphonse Marie Kadege follows growing tensions within the interim government, which is steering a peace process to end the conflict between ethnic Hutu rebels and the Tutsi-dominated army.
Mr Kadege, a prominent member of the country's biggest Tutsi party, criticised a draft interim constitution yesterday, saying it gave too much power to Hutus. President Ndayizeye is a Hutu.
The constitution is due to be put to a referendum on November 26th. If approved, the document will set up a new power-sharing arrangement between the Hutus and the minority Tutsis aimed at laying a permanent rest to the civil war.
Presidential spokesman Mr Pancrace Cimpaye said Mr Kadege's criticisms of the draft proved he was deliberately blocking efforts to push forward the peace process.
"The vice-president boycotted in September all cabinet sessions which were due to analyse and pass the post-transition draft constitution, and he also called some ministers to boycott the sessions," Mr Cimpaye told a news conference.
There was no immediate response from Mr Kadege.
The biggest Tutsi party, Uprona, of which Kadege is a member, ended its opposition to the constitution earlier this month, although it said it wanted sections it deems unfair to Tutsis changed before the document goes to the referendum.