ADDRESS BY THE SENATE SPEAKER, RT HONOURABLE EMMANUEL SINZOHAGERA, CLOSING THE ORDINARY PARLIAMENTARY SESSION OF DECEMBER 2021

                                                    Gitega, February 28, 2022

Honourable Fisrt Deputy-Speaker of the Senate,

Honourable Senators,

Your Excellencies Ministers,

Mister Governor of Gitega Province,

Your Excellencies Ambassadors and Representatives of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps accredited to Burundi,

Madam President of the High Court in Gitega Province,

Dear Representatives of International Organizations in Burundi,

Mister Attorney General of the Republic in Gitega;

Mister President of the Labor Court in Gitega,

Mister Administrator of Gitega Commune,

Dear Members of Defense and Security Corps,

Dear Members of the media

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

1. Permit me to thank the Almighty God who guided us during these three months during which we were accomplishing the mission for which the people have mandated us. It is that same God who enabled us to carry out that mission while there was full peace and security all over the country. Moreover, that God gave us the possibility of waking up alive this morning; let us therefore acclaim Him!

• Let me then thank you very much for having always been present every time we invite you for this kind of ceremonies or for other activities. This testifies that you follow closely and support the Senate’s activities for the benefit of the community.

Honourable Senators;

Distinguished Guests;

Many activities have been carried out during this ordinary session of December 2021, in different fields: the representation of the people, the vote of bills, the reinforcing cooperation between the Senate and other institutions or associations of which we are members, the implementation of bills which we vote, etc. And we do this in accordance with articles 192, 193 and 196 of our Constitution.

With regard to the analysis of bills, during this session that we are closing today, the Senate has analysed and adopted ten (10) bills out of the fourteen (14) which were submitted to us by the Government of the Republic of Burundi. Those bills are the following:

1. Bill on the statute of the Officers of the National Police of Burundi;
2. Bill on the statute of non-commissioned officers of the National Police of Burundi;
3. Bill on the statute of the troops of the National Police of Burundi;
4. Bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the protocol on the privileges and immunities of the East African Community;
5. Bill ratifying the cooperation agreement for the execution of Burundi water resources management project between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt signed on March 24, 2021 in Cairo, Egypt;
6. Bill ratifying the agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt signed on 24 March 2021 in Cairo, Egypt.
7. Bill on the rail transport code
8. Bill on the statutes of the support staff of the National Police of Burundi;
9. Bill on the prevention and repression of cybercrime in Burundi;
10. Bill amending some provisions of the social protection code in Burundi and to increase the value of pensions for the public sector.

Honourable Senators,

Distinguished guests,

• During this session that we are closing today, we have carried out other activities including the participation in national ceremonies as well as in other ceremonies to which we have been invited.
  • On December 17, 2021, the Parliament met in Congress at Kigobe Congress Palace to follow the presentation of the programme that the Government will accomplish in the next six months. This programme was presented by the Prime Minister of the Government of Burundi.

• On December 20, 2021, the Parliament met in congress at Kigobe Congress Palace to follow the presentation of the activities already accomplished by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the events of 1972. This work was closed by a communiqué qualifying that these crimes committed by the government of the time is a despicable crime committed against the bahutu, batutsi and batwa ethnic groups.
  • We also participated in a prayer of thanksgiving organized by the presidential family in Bujumbura town.
  • We also participated, in Gitega, in prayers organized by the CNDD-FDD Party.

• Furthermore, on February 5, 2022, we participated in the ceremonies marking the 31^st anniversary of national unity in which we represented H.E. the President of the Republic. Those ceremonies took place in Rutegama commune, Muramvya province.

• We also met the representatives of the Protestant Churches in order to call on them to always be characterized by perfect collaboration and mutual understanding in their daily activities, and to shine like torches among the faithful of their Churches.

• During this session that we are closing, we joined the population of Bujumbura and Ngozi provinces and we analyzed together the issue related to the behavior and education in schools. We sensitized the youth to focus more on studies, and we reminded school authorities that their work is not a job but rather a vocation. We made them understand that being absent or arriving late to the workplace constitutes a breach of their vocation. We called on them to ensure respect for the habits and customs that have always characterized Burundians, by adopting a behaviour that is worthy of an educator.

In those provinces which we visited, we sensitized the elected authorities and chiefs of different services about the protection of the environment, the fight against early pregnancies, polygamy, the squandering of the harvest, the fight against drunkenness, the adhering to associations, the fight against land conflicts, the importance of paying taxes, peace keeping, the fight against COVID-19, etc.

• We participated in community activities and contributed to some development projects that the population itself is carrying out; in the construction of the offices of the village chiefs or in other community construction activities. We sensitized the youth to prepare development projects on their behalf, and submit them to the Investment Bank for the Youth (BIJE). We also recalled that for women too, there is a bank (Investment Bank for Women) that the State set up to support them in their development. We called on them to make savings by avoiding selling their crops.

• We made them aware of the protection of arable land by planting trees that coexist with crops, especially grasses that livestock can feed on as part of the implementation of the law on keeping livestock in sheds.

We also had the opportunity to explain to the population some of the bills adopted so that they can know them and take their ownership. We also provided clarifications to some of their grievances. The grievances to which we have not been able to give answers will be submitted to the Government which will deal with them for the population’s sake.

• In addition, during this three-month session that is closing today, we invited members of the Government to provide responses to the concerns that the population had submitted to us. We cite namely the Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, the Minister of Trade, Transport, Industry and Tourism and the Minister of Infrastructure, Equipment and social housing. We will continue to invite other members of the Government to ensure that all the concerns of the population receive appropriate responses.

1. The Honourable First-Deputy Speaker of the Senate participated in the meeting of the Association of Women Parliamentarians of Burundi (AFEPABU) whose theme was: “Let’s render Burundi orange: Let’s act immediately to put an end to violence against women and girls”. She also attended the 6^th Congress of the Association of Chartered Accountants.

1. The Honourable First-Deputy Speaker of the Senate joined the population of Mwaro province, on January 15, 2022, where she encouraged them to carry out their projects within cooperatives, as well as projects regarding the support for vulnerable people. In addition, she carried out community activities in different communes of this province.

1. The Second Deputy-Speaker of the Senate joined the population of Ruyigi province on January 29, 2022. He participated in community activities and he sensitized the population to adhere to the programs that the State put in place for their development, especially in terms of working together in cooperatives and in crop saving.

Honorable Senators;

Distinguished guests;

1. We would like to congratulate the Government of Burundi, friends and relatives for the way in which they managed to convince the international opinion that sanctions are not a way out of conflicts but rather dialogue and exchange that can lead to a good comprehension. This allowed the sanctions taken against Burundi to be lifted.

1. In the area of cooperation, the Senate of Burundi, represented by its first Deputy– Speaker participated in a meeting of the Commonwealth community aimed at strengthening the leadership in grassroots communities. This meeting took place in Arusha, Tanzania.

1. Moreover, to strengthen the bonds of friendship, during the session that we are closing, we welcomed the Representative of the People’s Republic of China, the envoys of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission/TRC, the President of the National Observatory for the Prevention and eradication of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In their recommendations, they wanted that there should be a decree setting a date for the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary marking the events of 1972 in order to wipe out the qualification of “traitors”( Abamenja”  given to some Burundian community.

1. We would like to congratulate the women’s national football team which has recently got the chance to participate in the in the African Cup final in Morocco; we wish them every success.

1. During this ordinary session of December which we are closing today, with a view to reconcile Burundians, we attended a mass dedicated to the victims of the events of 1972, in the commune of Mugongo-Manga in the province of Bujumbura. This prayer was organized by the TRC.

1. To conclude, we would like to inform you that we will continue to visit the population to monitor the implementation of bills that we voted and adopted. We will also continue to listen to the grievances of the population, without forgetting to sensitize them to preserve peace and security, while supporting them in development work. In accordance with the motto of the government which says that: “this year is dedicated to agriculture”, we will do our utmost to sensitize the population to modernize agriculture.

We could not end this remark without saying that it is with deep pain that we learned of the death of the Spouse of the Honourable Second Vice-President of the Senate, which occurred on February 21, 2022 in Belgium where she had gone to get treated. We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

1. We conclude by thanking you for your presence and informing you of the solemn closing of the ordinary session for December 2022. We are meeting again in this hemicycle on April 1 of this year, at the solemn opening of the next session.

Thank you!

God bless you!

God bless you.