Excellency, Minister of the Interior,
Mr. Mayor of Bujumbura,
Leaders of political parties,
Representatives of religious organizations,
Representatives of civil society,
Representatives of the media,
Presidents of youth leagues affiliated with political parties,
Excellency, Head of the EU Delegation,
Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission to Burundi and the Great Lakes Region,
Excellencies, Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions,
Dear colleagues from the United Nations system and Heads of UN Agencies,
Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honor and a real pleasure to be among you on the occasion of this meeting bringing together various stakeholders in the 2015 electoral process. The United Nations Security Council has entrusted us with the important task of observing the electoral process before, during, and after the elections, and reporting to the Secretary-General, who will in turn report to the Council.
Our dearest wish is to succeed in this mission and for the elections to take place in a calm and peaceful climate. For this, we need the full cooperation of all. MENUB, for its part, remains ready to work closely with all stakeholders and will endeavor, in fulfilling its mandate, to demonstrate professionalism, impartiality, and integrity in order to contribute to the growth and strengthening of democracy in Burundi.
Mr. Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The elections are fast approaching. The wish of the United Nations is for them to be conducted under the best possible conditions to ensure their credibility. They must be fair, free, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful. Properly organized, elections contribute to consolidating peace; if contested, they could destabilize the country and create a crisis whose extent cannot be foreseen today.
At its 49th meeting held on 5 March 2015 in Addis Ababa, the African Union Peace and Security Council adopted a decision on developments in Burundi. The Council recalled the relevant provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and other relevant AU instruments. It stressed the need for all Member States to work towards their effective implementation to deepen democracy and strengthen good governance on the continent. The Council welcomed the measures already taken for the proper conduct of the electoral process and called on the Government of Burundi and all other actors, including political parties and civil society, to work together, in compliance with the law, including the Constitution, to ensure the successful holding of peaceful, inclusive, free, credible, and transparent elections whose results will be accepted by all, thereby strengthening democracy and national reconciliation.
It has often been pointed out that Burundi has already acquired significant experience in organizing elections and that these will be the third since the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement. We do not doubt this. However, as we have emphasized before, each election is different from the previous one. That is why, on behalf of the United Nations, which I am honored to represent at this meeting, we continue to encourage the Government and political parties to strengthen political dialogue in order to improve the overall environment of these elections and to ensure that all those eligible to vote or run feel genuinely included in the process.
In this regard, we welcome the efforts made to open political dialogue. This has allowed certain political parties, for several months now, to hold meetings and other activities across the country without obstruction. However, perhaps more should still be done, as we are also hearing that while meetings take place, acts of intimidation and harassment continue. The rules of the game must be the same for all to ensure the credibility of the process. We therefore take this opportunity to make an urgent appeal to those who continue to spread fear through such acts to put an end to them. They do not serve the interests of their parties, nor those of Burundi.
We also commend the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), which, since the beginning of this year, has opened its consultations to all political actors and organized several information and assessment meetings on the voter registration process, in which these actors participated. Without a doubt, these workshops, during which issues of irregularities in voter registration and the distribution of national identity cards were addressed, have helped build trust between this institution and other stakeholders. We must encourage CENI to do more and ensure transparency to strengthen mutual confidence, especially now, ahead of the publication of provisional lists and the partial reopening of the voter registration process.
Furthermore, we should be pleased that CENI managed to complete the processing of voter data within the deadlines it had set itself, and we encourage it to continue on this path.
Mr. Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We must admit that efforts to facilitate political dialogue must continue to create an environment conducive to holding free, fair, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful elections. As in all human endeavors, nothing is perfect. That is why, in addition to existing national and international electoral instruments, you and the various stakeholders present here have contributed to the adoption of other documents aimed at further improving the political environment. Burundians, first and foremost, and Burundi’s partners have welcomed these documents favorably, and you have committed to implementing them for the success of these elections. In this regard, the President of the Republic, H.E. Pierre Nkurunziza, recently declared that the 2015 elections will be the best the country has ever organized. I invite you to reflect on this statement and do everything necessary to make it a reality.
To achieve this, we encourage all stakeholders, each within their responsibilities, to respect the laws in force, ensure a participatory and inclusive process, encourage freedom of expression and assembly (within the strict framework of the law), avoid any act that could exacerbate political tensions, and preserve peace and stability in Burundi.
The United Nations is deeply concerned with this ultimate objective. That is why we would like to suggest the signing of a Charter of Non-Violence before, during, and after the elections.
Some may question the relevance or added value of such a Charter, which would add to the National Unity Charter, the Roadmap, the Code of Good Conduct for the 2015 elections, the Electoral Code, the Constitution, and certainly many other instruments adopted previously. In various conversations with stakeholders, it has often been said that, in the history of elections in Burundi, the post-election period is often the most critical, as it is then that violence erupts. My answer to this question is as follows: the Charter would reinforce existing documents. It aims to help achieve the goals we set for it, provided you, the stakeholders, are willing to implement the commitments you make.
No one holds a monopoly on violence, and responsibility for violence cannot fall on just one side. Together, you should commit to rejecting it.
Allow me to read to you an excerpt from a letter written by a young Burundian woman studying at a European university, in reaction to her professor referring to the 1993 conflict in Burundi, which claimed more than 300,000 victims:
"As he said that," she wrote, "for a few seconds my heart stopped beating, I felt tears welling up in my eyes... I remembered my classmates who were war orphans, with whom I grew up; the thousands of children who literally grew up in the streets because of a stupid conflict between brothers. I remembered the fathers who did not even have time to mourn their sons, and all those mothers who could not bury the fruit of their wombs. In 1993, those of my generation were too young to witness these horrors, but we were told about bodies floating in rivers, burned houses and shops, roads, factories and schools destroyed, families devastated forever… The future of an entire people gone up in smoke!... You are probably wondering why I wanted to share this story with you. It is simply because I do not want my children (and yours) to learn, 20 years from now, sitting on a university bench, that Burundi – once the land of milk and honey, the heart of Africa, the country of a thousand and one hills – became the land of blood. I want them to learn that their country experienced a dark period in its history (as happens in every country) but that it rose again with dignity and stood back up, stronger than ever! That is my dream, and the dream of many of us. Together we can make it happen! Starting perhaps with this year’s elections…"
She ends her letter with this quote from Martin Luther King, one of the apostles of non-violence: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
This letter, which I came across entirely by chance, strengthens my resolve to appeal particularly to the youth to adhere to the Charter of Non-Violence that I am proposing.
Mr. Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The youth, for whom this Charter was initially intended, must refuse to be manipulated and instrumentalized, reaffirm their determination to abandon violent rhetoric, and refrain from any violent behavior that could plunge the country into crisis and chaos. They must advocate respect for the freedoms of others: freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Tolerance must be the key word in their relations with others.
The media, whose role is crucial in conveying messages, should also be involved in this pacification process by combating all forms of violence, notably by refraining from spreading statements and messages that could exacerbate tensions. We encourage them to demonstrate professionalism, now more than ever, and to respect journalistic ethics during this crucial period for the life of the nation.
The security forces have the heavy responsibility of securing the electoral environment. They must remain republican in spirit. We must raise their awareness of the responsibility they bear and encourage them to remain impartial in carrying out their mandate, thinking only of serving the nation as a whole.
As mentioned earlier, no one holds a monopoly on violence. We must all work to eliminate it from our actions, especially at a time when tempers are easily inflamed. Commit yourselves to ensuring the success of these elections, which should propel Burundi forward and make it an example in the region and across the continent.
Successful elections will open new opportunities for Burundi. Let us all work towards this goal.
I thank you.