BUJUMBURA December 19th (ABP) – The Senate of Burundi organized on Wednesday December 15, 2022, in Bujumbura, an exchange meeting with the members of the offices of the communal councils and the governors of the provinces of the West region, on the principles of good democratic governance at the local level. Those provinces are Bujumbura-mairie, Bujumbura, Bubanza and Cibitoke.
In his introductory speech, the President of the Senate Mr. Emmanuel Sinzohagera indicated that the objective of that meeting was to identify together the challenges that haunt especially the leadership of the communes and the sustainable solutions that can be found. These challenges and solutions will be written for helping even future local elected officials know that these challenges exist in order to find ways out, Sinzohagera added. After the introduction, discussions continued in camera.
At the end of the meeting, the 2nd Vice President of the Senate, Mr. Cyriaque Nshimirimana, reminded the press that, in addition to the main missions of representing the people, passing laws, controlling government action, advising the President of the Republic of Burundi and the National Assembly, the Senate also has the mission of monitoring the elected bodies. He specified that during the exchanges with the local elected officials of the Western region provinces, they collected the constraints which are observed at the level of the communal administration, so that the commune can be a model in good governance. He also reported that the Senate will collect all constraints in all regions of the country (West, East, North, South).
According to Mr. Nshimirimana, the Senate will take all those challenges into account when drafting the bill governing communal administration, but also for other laws governing administration in general. Those shortcomings from the communes will also serve as material for advising the President of the Republic of Burundi and the National Assembly, as prescribed by the Burundian constitution, to improve good governance in the communal administration.
Note that such exchanges are to be continued in other regions of the country such as the Eastern region for the Ruyigi, Cankuzo and Rutana provinces; the Center region for the Muramvya, Gitega, Mwaro and Karusi provinces, as well as the South region for the Makamba, Bururi and Rumonge provinces. The 2nd Vice President of the Senate also specified that they will make tours of all the communes and the provinces to communicate the various challenges raised by local elected officials and which handicap the strengthening of good governance.