During the closing activities of the campaign for the May 17 referendum this Wednesday May 14 in Mukaza commune of Bujumbura province, Evariste Ndayishimiye, Secretary General of CNDD-FDD party has said politicians have no reason to say the new constitution puts an end to the Arusha Peace Agreement.
Evariste Ndayishimiye: “It is CNDD-FDD party that has implemented the Arusha peace agreement”.
“It is CNDD-FDD party that implemented the Arusha Peace Agreement. Politicians did not want to implement it because of their political considerations until CNDD-FDD party came to power in 2005,” says the Secretary General of CNDD-FDD party.
Ndayishimiye says his party is fully aware of the importance of the Arusha Peace Agreement but says it is high time Burundi moved forward. “Arusha Accord has 4 pillars that Burundians have to implement. They are namely avoidance of genocide, reinforcing democracy, unity and reconciliation and the reparation of war damages. CNDD-FDD has done so since 2005 and is now it is on the other level,” he says.
Mr Ndayishimiye says the Arusha Peace agreement has served as bridge and adds that CNDD-FDD party will still draw inspiration from it. “We are done with Arusha Peace Agreement .It was considered as bridge over the river which Burundi has already crossed. However, the good points it contains will still be used. They will always be an inspiration.”
Different ambassadors from different countries such as the representatives of Tanzania, Kenya, DRC, Algeria, Russia, South Africa, Egypt, and Gabon were present in the closing ceremonies.
As for Amizero y’Abarundi opposition coalition, it concluded the campaign in Zege zone of Gitega central province. They have appealed to the population to vote against the referendum as it comes to put an end to the Arusha Peace Agreement that is the foundation of the constitution in force, a guarantor of peace and unity for all Burundians.
Agathon Rwasa: “If there had been no Arusha Peace Agreement, CNDD-FDD party members would have stayed in forests”
Evariste Ngayimpenda, Deputy leader of Amizero y’Abarundi opposition coalition says the new constitution comes to disturb peace and unity that the Arusha Peace Agreement has helped restore.
“It took us many years to reach the Arusha Peace Agreement which allowed Burundians to reunite via the constitution that has just been put to the referendum .I call on the population to vote against it,” he says.
Agathon Rwasa, chairman of Amizero y’Abarundi coalition, says Arusha Peace Agreement has helped Burundians to come together as brothers while they were fighting each other. “If there had been no Arusha Peace Agreement, CNDD-FDD party members would have stayed in Nyamutenderi and Rukore forests. He called on the population to vote no in the upcoming constitutional referendum”.
The activities closing the referendum campaign by Amizero y’Abarundi opposition coalition began with a 4 km march towards Zege hill.
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