BURUNDI: New president lays out policy

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

BUJUMBURA, 29 Aug 2005 (IRIN) - Burundi’s new president, Peter Nkurunziza, laid out his policies on Friday on issues ranging from national reconciliation to curbing corruption, which he says is a leading cause of the country's poverty.

"We are now committed to an exemplary fight against those embezzling the national riches," Nkurunziza said during his inauguration on Friday.

"Those caught looting public goods will be punished in full compliance with the law," he added.

During Burundi’s recent civil war Nkurunziza was the leader of a rebel group, the Conseil national pour la défense de la democratie-Forces pour la défense de la democratie. The group only became a political party in 2005 and in elections won an overwhelming majority of votes.

On Friday Nkurunziza called on combatants from another active rebel group, the Front national de liberation (FNL) "to stop their hostilities and agree to join in negotiations with the government".

Nkurunziza said that all social groups would benefit under his government but he also pledged to adopt "laws and strategies to disarm those who are not entitled to own arms".

In keeping with a pledge made during his electoral campaign, he said that primary school students will no longer pay school fees.

He also said he was committed "to fighting poverty and famine basing on the millennium development goals" and protect vulnerable groups including orphans, widows and demobilised combatants.

However the outgoing president, Domitien Ndayizeye, said at Nkurunziza's inauguration that the new government was likely to face many challenges. Reaching a ceasefire with the FNL will be one difficult, he said. Another will be creating credible institutions for justice and reconciliation.

Ndayizeye also said the new government may have problems revising the country’s labour code and pay scales for civil servants. He also said that it would be difficult to accommodate the return of thousands of refugees and people displaced by the civil war.

During the inauguration, representatives from the international donors community expressed support for the new government. European Union representative Louis Michel announced 200 million euros (US $245.7 million) in aid; Germany said it planned to reopen its embassy in Bujumbura.

The Netherlands minister of development cooperation, Agnes van Ardenne, said on Friday at the inauguration that her government was ready "to explore the possibility" support for peacekeeping training the Burundi military. In Amsterdam, her spokeswoman, Marie-Christine Lanser-Reusken, said the ministry was working out the cost of this training programm.

"As soon as there is a comprehensive peace agreement including the FNL [Front national de liberation], there will be consultations about establishing a peacekeeping training centre in Burundi," Lanser-Reusken said.

In his inaugural speech, Nkurunziza said talks with the FNL would be high up on his agenda.

Since 2003, the Netherlands has been involved in the Burundi peace process. It sponsored the electoral process with 1.5 million euros and disbursed four million euros for the establishment of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration centres known as Camps Espoir for former rebels and government soldiers.

In March 2005, the Netherlands financed a 4.8-million euro project aimed at building 17 provincial police offices and six training centres; training for police and providing them with vehicles and communications equipment. The Netherlands has set aside 6.5 million euro for humanitarian operations in 2005.

[ENDS]