Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Bujumbura (Burundi): On the occasion of the four-year governance of President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who came to power on June 18, 2020, the coalition Tournons La Page Burundi (TLP-Burundi) published a memorandum that reveals the major issues of Burundian civil society. The document is titled: "4 years of governance of President Evariste Ndayishimiye: Disenchantment and a State on the brink of collapse."
TLP-Burundi noted that the early days of the head of state were characterized by presidential speeches with good intentions. "A few signs of openness were observed, especially on the diplomatic front, but gradually there was a noticeable lack of coherence between words and actions, so much so that Burundians and friends of Burundi eventually lost hope of having a unified Burundi that respects democratic values," the coalition stated. The memorandum mentions problems related to the country's internal governance, diplomacy, political intolerance, the shrinking of civic space and human rights violations, justice, and security.
Let us recall that Burundi is a multi-party republic with a presidential regime where the President of the Republic serves as the head of state and the Prime Minister occupies the role of head of government. The electoral process of May 20, 2020, which led to the election of Evariste Ndayishimiye as President of the Republic, was marked by serious human rights violations, especially since the Catholic Church, which was the only credible observer on the ground, noted significant irregularities that characterized this presidential election.
President Evariste Ndayishimiye was inaugurated on June 18, 2020, for a seven-year term, and he has just completed four years at the head of the country.