Address by His Excellency Rt. Hon. Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA, Speaker of Burundi Senate, closing the ordinary parliamentary session of August 2021

                                                                         Gitega, October 29, 2021

Honourable First Deputy Speaker of the Senate;

Honourable Second deputy Speaker of the Senate;

Honourable Senators;

Your Excellencies Ministers;

Governor of the Pronvince of Gitega,

Your Excellencies Ambassadors and Representatives of Diplomatic and Consular Corps Accredited in Burundi,

Representatives of International Organizations in Burundi,

President of the High Court in Gitega,

District Attorney in Gitega,

President of the Labour Court in Gitega,

Administrator of the Municipality of Gitega,

Responsible for the Defense and Security forces,

members of the media,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning!

1. First, let us give thanks to God the Almighty who gave us the strength to be able to wake up in order to carry out the missions for which the people have mandated us. Please join me to acclaim the Lord who has guided us in the accomplishment of our mission during these three months of parliamentary session.
2. I welcome you dear Guests; you have come to join us in these ceremonies despite your occupations. This testifies to the importance you attach to our mission, which encourages us more to work endlessly so that all citizens feel that this institution does indeed exist for them.

Honourable Senators,

Distinguished guests,

• During this session of August 2021 which is the first for this financial year 2021-2022, among the three provided for by the constitution of the Republic of Burundi in its article 190, the Senate carried out many activities provided by the constitution of the Republic of Burundi in its articles 192, 193 and 196.
• Regarding the analysis and voting of bills, out of a total of 14 bills that the Government had sent us, the Senate analyzed and adopted seven (07) which are the following:
• The draft law on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the Grant Agreement N° ITOB5320 for the additional financing of the landscape restoration and resilience project between the Republic of Burundi and the International Development Association, IDA, signed in Bujumbura on 24 May 2021;
• Bill on the creation, organization and functioning of Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR);
• Bill on the organization of the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Burundi
• Bill regulating migration in Burundi;
• Bill revising the organic law n°1/03 of February 20, 2017 on the missions, organization and functioning of the National Police of Burundi;
• Bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of a grant agreement of for the financing of the project to support the improvement of skills and employability of women and young people (PACEF) in Burundi, signed in Bujumbura August 16, 2021;
• Draft organic law on missions, composition, organization and functioning of the National Security Council

The senate also analyzed and adopted the revision of its rules of procedure.

• Concerning the control of the Government action, we invited 2 members of the government: the Minister of Commerce, Transport, Industry and Tourism and the Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines to answer to the Honourable Senators’ questions about the population’s concerns in those fields.

Honourable Senators,

Distinguished guests,

• In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Burundi, we approved the names of the candidates for high responsibilities in the Defense and Security Corps as well as the names of the candidates of ambassadors that His Excellency the President of the Republic had sent us.

On August 20, the Parliament met in congress in Bujumbura at the Palais des Congrès de Kigobe, to follow the presentation of the achievements of the Government during the last six months of the fiscal year 2020 -2021.

• Moreover, during this session that we are closing, we carried out other activities including the participation in national days and parties to which we have been invited.
• On October 13 and 21, 2021, we joined other leaders of the country in the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore, Hero of Independence and the commemoration of the 28th anniversary of the assassination of President Melchior Ndandaye, Hero of Democracy.
• On October 11, 2021, the Senate Speaker participated in the ceremonies of the day devoted to the girl. Those ceremonies took place at the chief town of Kabezi commune, in Bujumbura Province.
• On August 7, 21, the members of the Senate Bureau as well as all Honourable Senators took part in the commune day in their respective native communes.
• Besides the national holidays, senators met on August 25, 2021 to celebrate the 1^st anniversary in the mandate entrusted to them by the population, after having made a self-evaluation and realized the step already taken one year after their election. These ceremonies took place in Gitega, the political capital, where they exercise their mission.

Honourable Senators,

Distinguished guests,

• As people’s representatives concerned with the welfare of the youth, especially pupils, senators always inquire about the state of the youth education in our country.

To this end, the Senate together with UNICEF and the CNIDH, organized meetings to analyze together what could be done in order to fight against early and unwanted pregnancies especially in schools. Those meetings were held in the provinces of Ngozi, Rutana and in the town of Bujumbura.

1. Concerning diplomacy, we participated in the 5^th World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments held in Vienna, capital of Austria, on September 7 and 8, 2021.

This conference focused mainly on “strengthening the missions of Parliaments in order to consolidate good governance throughout the world”

The conference was held under the general theme: “Parliamentary leaders at the service of a more effective multilateralism that ensures peace and sustainable development for citizens and planet”.

1. This conference specifically focused on the analysis of the following points:

– The measures to be taken to fight against covid-19

– The environmental protection

– The fight against rumors

– The role of youth in politics

– The policy of gender equality

1. On the sidelines of this conference, we met delegations from different countries such as the Kingdom of Belgium, China, Russia, Switzerland and Rwanda.
2. We also met the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). In this meeting, the IPU Secretary General informed us that Burundi is no longer among the countries under surveillance because they are confident of the step already taken in terms of politics, security and Human Rights.
3. During this meeting, the IPU Secretary General also asked the Burundian delegation to set up, as soon as possible, projects that this organization could carry out in the form of support for the Republic of Burundi.
4. We also met the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. We discussed the sectors in which Burundi can operate in this area.
5. In the same spirit of strengthening cooperation, during this session that we are closing, we received in audience the ambassadors of Holland and Kenya. Our discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation relations between Burundi and these countries. We also received in audience the president of the Truth Reconciliation Commission (CVR) and the envoys of the Independent National Commission for Human Rights in Burundi (CNIDH).
6. The Senate, represented by its first Deputy-Speaker, also participated in the meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. These meetings were held via videoconference.

Honorable Senators,

Distinguished guests,

1. During this ordinary session of August that we are closing, with the aim of reconciling Burundians, the Senate Deputy-Speakers participated in the commemoration ceremony of the interethnic massacres of 1972 in Mwaro province and in Bujumbura town hall.
2. Regarding its mission of being always close to the population, the Senate visited different provinces of the country to join the population in their daily activities, as a way of encouragement.

We visited the City of Bujumbura, the provinces of Bujumbura, Cankuzo, Ruyigi, Rutana, Mwaro, Makamba, Gitega and Kirundo.

• With regard to capacity building for Senators and Senate officials, during this session that we are closing, the Senate organized training workshops on the use of new technologies for Senators who so desire. For heads of services in the Senate, training workshops about their obligations were also organized. These trainings took place on August 19 and 20 this year in the chief-town of the province of Karusi.

Distinguished guests;

All protocols observed,

During this month of parliamentary recess that we are going to start, we invite Honourable senators to carry out visits in their respective constituencies in order to continue to hear and resolve the population’s grievances.

To conclude our remarks, we would like to inform you that we will go on with our visits on the field in order to monitor the enforcement of the laws already adopted. We will also continue to hear the population’s complaints. We will sensitize people to safeguard peace and security, while encouraging them in self-development work.

• We conclude by reiterating our sincere thanks for your presence, and we solemnly declare closed the ordinary session of August.

We will meet again in this hemicycle on December 1^st of this year to solemnly open the ordinary session of December.

Thank you,

God bless you!