Presidential election in Burundi: for Gaston Sindimwo, "we must break fear"

Audio 03:40

Text by: Laurent Correau Follow

Seven candidates are in the running for the presidential election next Wednesday, May 20, in Burundi. The campaign ends this Sunday, May 17. RFI gives the floor to all the candidates. Gaston Sindimwo, Uprona candidate, presents his program to us.

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RFI : What is the main point that you think will remain from the Nkurunziza years ?

Gaston Sindimwo: It is a positive assessment compared to the other presidents. Despite the circumstances with which he worked, we still held up well. Because the employees were paid, despite the sanctions. We built schools, hospitals ... Despite the economic crisis imposed by the West, we were able to survive. I salute the record of the president and the courage of the president, because there are not many African presidents who can make a similar assessment in such circumstances.

These fifteen years have been marked by serious human rights violations, assassinations, enforced disappearances, torture ... How do you react to everything that has happened ?

There are the political crimes that we have observed and most of these political crimes have resulted in this mismanagement of human rights issues. First, we are going to set up a commission of inquiry which must analyze who did what. Targeted assassinations or violations, we must punish them in order to move forward. Make a general amnesty to start on solid foundations, so that there is no concern for each other. Our determination is first of all to put all Burundians together. If I have to be elected as President of the Republic, all the competitors will have to be part of the consultation team in the establishment of a government of national unity.

What would you like to change if you are elected ?

First, if I am elected, it is to normalize diplomatic relations with everyone and especially the neighboring countries, in order to be able to increase the national economy. Second thing, as I promised the Burundian people, is to break the fear. And third thing: to shelter the Burundian people from need.

You said just now : " We must break fear ." Is it a problem of the country, at present, this presence of fear ?

Yes, it is a problem of the country. It has been since the Arusha Accord was put in place and has continued so far. So we, with our power, what we are going to do in six months is that there will not be many authorities who will have guards as we see today.

We must demilitarize Burundian society ?

We have to demilitarize. Because, when you go to a neighborhood X, Y, Z and when you have people like dignitaries who take guard, it's more than a military camp. There are also young people from political parties who make the law in the hills. All this, with the arrival of the Uprona power, will be banned on the national territory. All the Burundian people will go about their business without problems.

Would you say that this election promises to be free and transparent ?

You know, free and transparent ... There are several unknowns, because so far we have been progressing very well. But with the establishment of the polling stations, it is problematic, because one did not respect article 40 of the electoral code. We have seen that there are several members of the polling station for the ruling party, while other parties do not. We hope that the people of the CENI [the Electoral Commission] or of the CECI [at the municipal level] will make these corrections, because today, there is no international observation. We decided to observe our own elections. So the candidates must have the members of the polling station so that things are clear. That is what we are asking for.

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