Burundi : the CNDD-FDD restructures itself without splitting
The CNDD-FDD held a congress this Sunday in the political capital Gitega. The majority of observers expected it to split. But the ruling party announced some restructurings without cracking as most people predicted. INFO SOS Médias Burundi
The congress was long awaited. Even the minister in charge of foreign affairs had taken care to invite diplomats accredited to Burundi to go to the political capital Gitega. They are based in the commercial city Bujumbura, more than 100 kilometers away. Many responded to the invitation. These include representatives from the embassies of the United States, the Netherlands, Turkey, China, Tanzania….
After an ecumenical prayer and opening remarks from the Head of State, CNDD-FDD representatives from all 18 provinces of the small East African nation met behind closed doors. After about an hour, Nancy Ninette Mutoni, commissioner in charge of communication, read a press release sanctioning the work of the congress.
She announced several new features : creation of party bodies in the zones, restructuring of bodies at provincial level, creation of two new bodies in charge of managing programs and activities and veterans of the former Hutu rebellion.
Reverien Ndikuriyo’s term gently renewed
“[…], his Excellency President Évariste Ndayishimiye is president of the council of elders, participants in the congress proceeded to the election of the secretary general of the party. It is the Mugumyabanga (name attributed to members of the CNDD-FDD ) Révérien Ndikuriyo who was elected”, announced Nancy Ninette Mutoni in heavy rain.
During the congress, the current speaker of the East African Community Legislative Assembly (EALA) was replaced as deputy-secretary general of the CNDD-FDD. Joseph Ntakarutimana, a Tutsi from the province of Ngozi in the north of Burundi was replaced by the second vice-president of the senate, Cyriaque Nshimirimana, another Tutsi from the province of Ruyigi in the east of the country.
National language promoted
It was decided this Sunday in Gitega that Kirundi (national language) be used during meetings.
“Kirundi will henceforth be the working language at meetings of the Burundian executive. Reports will also be written in the national language”, decided the congress, which speaks of “promotion of the national language”.
Relations between Burundi and other countries
CNDD-FDD delegates also spoke about relations between Burundi and other countries, particularly Rwanda.
“[…] the CNDD-FDD party calls on Rwanda to extradite to Burundi the alleged putschists exiled in this country since 2015, some 19 Burundian criminals who retreated to the Rwandan soil after attacks perpetrated in Burundi in September”. These are some recommendations so that relations between the two countries of the Great Lakes region of Africa “be completely restored”.
The ruling party claims to recognize Rwanda’s effort to “let Burundian refugees return home” and asks it to continue on this path.
The document sanctioning activities of the congress of the former Hutu rebellion advised the Congolese to “stand up to prevent their country from sinking into chaos”.
The Head of State who took some two hours to “speech” returned at length to his corrupt, greedy collaborators.
“Corrupt leaders must understand that the time is over. We were chosen to serve Burundians and not to make them suffer, and not to grab their due. We are paid by taxpayers’ money but you demand bribes to give them a service”, charged Mr. Ndayishimiye who describes such authorities as “criminals”.
Several security measures had been taken during the congress on Sunday and no one was allowed to enter the place where it took place with their mobile phone.
Prior to this congress, the ruling party had organized a three-day crusade. The Archbishop of Gitega who launched it asked authorities from the CNDD-FDD and its representatives to “promote respect for human rights”.
