BUJUMBURA, October 6th (ABP) – The President of the Senate, Emmanuel Sinzohagera, chaired on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, in the INSP premises, an evaluation session of the ethnic quota system, for executives of the State, with a view to seeing together whether it is still necessary to consider or eliminate the system of ethnic quotas in the executive, legislative and judicial bodies.
In his introductory speech, the President of the Senate recalled that article 289 of the 2018 Constitution requires that the Senate make such an evaluation after five years, to see if they can maintain or remove the system of ethnic quotas in the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. Mr. Sinzohagera thus called on those executives and State agents to express themselves freely without fear and without hypocrisy, in order to give reliable ideas.
Some participants indicated that it is still early to eliminate this system of ethnic quotas, adding that what is important and real is to have leaders who have the ability to manage the heritage of the State well, govern well and serve the nation well. They noted that Article 289 does not disturb anything in terms of peace and security.
Others have called for the removal of ethnic quotas, arguing that the issue of ethnicity no longer has a place in Burundi. They rather asked to favor technical skills, to grant positions to people of integrity who lead in the interest of all without any exclusion.
The Senate President thanked the meeting participants for their ideas and promised them that the authorized institutions will analyze the ideas collected. He also indicated that such meetings will continue with other remaining institutions, in order to analyze all the ideas that will be collected throughout the country and be able to decide whether to remove or maintain that system of ethnic quotas.