Members of communal councils invited to explain to the population the importance of assigning functions on the basis of skills

During this recess, the Speaker of the Senate, Right Honourable Emmanuel Sinzohagera, held meetings in Nyabiraba commune and Bujumbura city, with communal councils’ members from all the communes of Bujumbura province and Bujumbura city, respectively on March 13 and 14, 2023.

In his remarks, Right Honourable Sinzohagera indicated that the objective of these meetings was to identify the challenges which these members of communal councils face in their mission of representing the people.

Among the challenges raised by the presidents of the communal councils, one can quote the lack of means to take part in the various activities of their respective communes, insufficient amount of attendance fees and the lack of autonomy in the management of the communes of Bujumbura city with a view to take ownership of the development of their communes as well as the lack of collaboration among certain village chiefs and zone chiefs.

In view of these challenges, the Speaker of the Upper House of the Parliament advised them to read the texts that govern them in order to perfectly accomplish their missions, not confuse their political affiliation with the mission of representing the people, visit the villages in order to collect the grievances of the population, and work transparently in close collaboration with the communal administrators.

He reminded them that the Government has granted a period of 5 years to the Senate of Burundi to assess whether or not it is still necessary to maintain the ethnic quotas in the Burundian Constitution.

To this end, the Senate Speaker invited the communal councils’ members to begin the task of explaining to the population the logic of this reform which aims to favour merit rather than ethnic origin in the attribution of various functions.