BUJUMBURA January 3rd (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye has indicated that the year 2023 is dedicated to raising the awareness of leaders for their role in the development of the country and the people. It was in the address to the nation he delivered on December 31, 2022, where he expressed his best wishes to all the people of Burundi.
In that regard, he expressed his wishes to see the Burundi of 2023 different from that of 2022, especially in the development of the country. “May the bad behavior of the past year not pursue us in 2023”.
With that objective, the President of the Republic announced that to achieve this, the theme chosen for the whole year challenges the leaders of the country to correctly fulfill their role and to give the necessary orientations to the population so that it works in synergy.
The President of the Republic recalled that “the responsible and hard-working government” has been at work for two and a half years. Welcoming the step already taken despite a long way to go. He explained that Burundi is currently experiencing unprecedented peace and security and supports other countries to have it, in reference to the peacekeeping operations in which Burundi is engaged.
At the level of good governance, Mr. Ndayishimiye castigated the behavior of certain high-ranking leaders who are corrupt, who squander public funds, who display a behavior of indifference to their responsibility. Behaviors those are also noticeable within the people, which have not yet understood that it is concerned with the protection of the common good, by wanting to monopolize common wealth, to sell our wealth abroad fraudulently.
Despite that lackluster picture, the President of the Republic explained that most of them have already learned the lesson, commit this crime in secret because they are afraid of being apprehended.
At the level of justice, the Head of State notes that shortcomings are still observed. He said that his presidency is facing wrongs that go back several years in this sector. Despite this, the President of the Republic has made it known that progress can be seen. Thus, the extent of the control of certain senior executives of the country who encroached on the work of justice has decreased, while noting that to date no crime committed goes unnoticed.
Mr. Ndayishimiye said that there is hope that with the establishment of “the village court, intahe yo ku mugina” and the holding of the Estates General of Justice, there will be an improvement, because even judicial officials who are found guilty of abuses are punished, he said.
Speaking about the files that are pending within the National Commission for Lands and Other Property (CNTB), Mr. Ndayishimiye explained that the regulations in that area are being revised so that these files are transferred within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).