KAYANZA December 25th (ABP) – The Ministry of the Interior, Patriotic Education and Local Development organized at headquarters of Kayanza province on Monday, December 23, 2019, in collaboration with the forum of political parties, a meeting to assess the political and security situation.
The meeting was an opportunity to amend and sign the code of conduct for political parties, coalitions of political parties, independents and the territorial administration, for the 2020 elections, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
28 political parties which were represented affixed their signatures. The territorial administration represented by the assistant of the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Tharcisse Niyongabo also affixed his signature, followed by that of the legal representative of the Islamic community of Burundi, Cheick Sadiki Kajandi Abdallah.
In his welcoming speech, the governor of Kayanza province, Mr. Anicet Ndayizeye, said that security is in good shape and that coexistence between members of different political parties operating in that province is good.
He said that those who hide behind political parties to commit slippages are apprehended and brought to justice.
Proceeding to the official opening of that meeting, the assistant of the Minister of the Interior, Patriotic Education and Local Development, Mr. Tharcisse Niyongabo, indicated that this Monday’s meeting was the seventh of its kind in the perspective of the preparation for the free, transparent, credible and peaceful elections of 2020.
With regard to the items on the agenda, Mr. Niyongabo said that the meeting focused on the assessment of the political and security situation in this pre-electoral period, the activities carried out by the Interior Ministry aimed at holding credible, free, transparent and peaceful elections in 2020, the strategic use by young people of the electoral calendar and the signing of the code of good conduct for political parties, coalitions of political parties, independents and the territorial administration in the 2020 elections.
Political leaders have confirmed that the political and security situation is good because they have the opportunity to meet with their members even if everything is not good at all in some provinces. They pledged to walk towards the 2020 elections and to finish them in peace and serenity in a free, peaceful and transparent manner.
The secretary general of the CNDD-FDD party, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, indicated that if the political parties meet to analyze the provisions of the code of conduct and to realize the red line, it is to show the responsibility of the young members of the political parties that had joined their leaders.
He later said that anyone who goes against the provisions of the code of conduct will be punished by justice because any damage will be repaired. He expressed satisfaction with the way the elections are being prepared, adding that the Burundian citizens are currently mature.
He also said that the electoral period is a good opportunity for institutional renewal, adding that those who are afraid of elections are people who ignore the functioning of the State.
Representatives of political parties were called upon to inform the administration of their activities and to respect the symbols of political parties other than their own.
Speaking about the code of conduct, the leader of the Sahwanya FRODEBU party, Mr. Pierre Claver Nahimana who also signed the code of conduct, said that this amended and signed code concerns the behavior of parties political, religious denominations, in short, all the partners.
He said that political parties have committed to hold meetings in accordance with the laws existing in the country, adding that this code comes to suppress confrontations between the administration, political parties, the police, and other actors as well.
That meeting was extended to youth representatives at the national level, one for each political party, as well as to representatives of religious denominations who were present in the meeting on November 15
