Burundi Senate votes against EU resolution

Burundi senate has held a plenary session this 1 August during which it analyzed and voted against the content of the EU resolution adopted by the EU parliament on the current Burundi situation on 6 July.

Senators vote against the EU resolution

The European Parliament has recently upheld the decision by the European Union to suspend financial aid to Burundi government. It has said it is deeply concerned about the current security situation in Burundi and the withdrawal of the latter from ICC. The EU parliament calls on the government to respect the Constitution and the Arusha Agreement.The EU first suspended direct financial assistance to Burundi in March 2016, accusing the government of not doing enough to end the political crisis.

However, during the plenary assembly that was scheduled from 19 to 21 June, the Europe bloc failed to convince members of the African Caribbean Pacific bloc and the resolution was not approved as African leaders voted against it.

“We call on those to whom the EU resolution was sent not to consider its contents but refer to the Senate’s resolution to know the real situation in Burundi”, says Anicet Niyongabo, Second Deputy President of the Senate during the plenary session held on 1August.

38 out of 41 senators have voted for the resolution. Three former presidents namely Pierre Buyoya, Sylvestre Ntibantunganya and Domitien Ndayizeye have not cast their vote as they do not sit in Parliament since Burundi has plunged into the crisis in 2015.

Révérien Ndikuriyo, President of the Senate says Burundi government will amend the Constitution to remove all suspicious points contained in the EU resolutions. “Burundians are the only holders of the national sovereignty. And the adoption of a resolution must be based on verified facts rather than allegations”, says Spès Caritas Njebarikanuye, First Deputy President of the Senate.

In May 2017, Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza appointed 15 members of a commission in charge of proposing the draft amendment to the Constitution. The commission will identify and analyze all the various provisions to be amended and propose them to the government.