Bujumbura, May 23 (IANS): The East African Community (EAC) on Friday urged Burundi to delay its elections set for June and wait for hundreds of thousands of refugees in the neighbouring nations to come back to vote.

"We think that hundreds of thousands of refugees who have gone out to neighbouring countries need to come back and exercise their right to vote. That is why we think that conditions in Burundi are not ripe for elections. We therefore call for the postponement of elections," Xinhua news agency quoted EAC Secretary-General Richard Sezibera as saying.

Ministers from EAC member states are visiting refugee camps in Burundi's neighbouring countries to assess humanitarian needs, he said, adding that he has heard reports of cholera outbreaks in some of the refugee camps, notably in Tanzania.

"We condemn and regret unnecessary loss of life that continues to occur in Burundi and we call for restraint especially by security forces," he said.

The UN refugee agency estimates that more than 105,000 Burundians have sought refuge in Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo since March amid fears of pre-election violence.

Burundi has been in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced on April 25 that he would run for a third term despite warnings at home and abroad.

He also rejected calls by the European Union and the US to delay the elections.

Opponents say his bid is in defiance of the constitution that limits the president to two terms in office.

Clashes between protesters and police have left at least 25 people dead, media reports say.