2015-03-23 12:56:00

Tanzania's President Kikwete joins the call of Burundi's Bishops


Early this month Burundi’s Catholic Bishops declared in a statement that the incumbent President, Pierre Nkurunziza was not eligible to stand for a third and unconstitutional term in this year’s June elections. Now Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete has warned that Burundi risks civil strife if the President does not abide by the constitution which prevents him from running for another term in the Burundi general elections scheduled for 26th June.

Speaking earlier this month, Archbishop Evariste Ngoyagoye the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bujumbura said in a statement that, "We call upon politicians in power not to speculate or misinterpret the constitution. All the constitution provisions about the President's terms are very clear: no President can lead the country for more than two terms of five years each."

President Kikwete, who is also the chairman of the East African Community, made his comments when he gave the state of East African community address to the Legislative Assembly that took place Thursday in the capital, Bujumbura.

Under Burundi’s constitution and the terms of a peace deal to end more than a decade of Burundi’s civil war, no leader is allowed to be in power for more than 10 years. Nkurunziza himself has not yet said he will run in June's election. His supporters, however, insist he is eligible to run. They argue that his first term does not count since he was picked by lawmakers rather than voted into office by universal suffrage. Nkurunziza has been in power since 2005.

There was no immediate reaction from the Burundi government regarding Kikwete's concerns.

Catholics in Burundi represent about 70% of the total population. The Church played a key role in peace talks in Burundi.

(e-mail: engafrica@vatiradio.va)

 








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