GITEGA, February 14th (ABP) – The Upper House of the Burundian parliament, in collaboration with International Christian Ministries (ICM), organized on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 in Gitega (political capital and center of Burundi), an exchange workshop on election disputes and the consolidation of peace and security for the various stakeholders in the elections, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
Senate President Emmanuel Sinzohagera reminded participants that in the past, election periods have sometimes been characterized by distraction of the population and bad behavior for some politicians, which has sometimes led to conflicts in the country. Based on this, Sinzohagera invited politicians to promote non-violent communication by avoiding insults during propaganda, to respect the election code and to accept the election results in order to build a prosperous Burundi.
Sinzohagera also called on the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) to treat candidates in the same way, to respect the election code and to make necessary decisions at the right time in an impartial manner to avoid having politicians who will lament during and after the elections.
Among the recommendations read by the chairperson of the forum of approved political parties in Burundi, Félicien Nduwuburundi, the workshop participants asked politicians not to always believe in victory while they know that they do not have members allowing them to access victory. This can be, according to Nduwuburundi, source of conflicts that can cause war.
Participants also asked political party leaders to call on their members to respect the signs of other political parties, to promote social cohesion and harmony, to avoid disputes and aggression against members of other political parties, because, as he pointed out, according to Nelson Mandela, “when a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” They suggested to the Burundian parliament that they should continue to organize capacity building and moralization sessions for leaders so that they are effectively characterized by a patriotic spirit, respect for public property and a spirit of handing over power without hindrance.