EALA decision on Burundi MPs is a sign of hope

Editor, RE: “EALA has made the right decision on Burundi reps” (The New Times, November 27). I commend the wise decision taken by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to overrule the decision by the Burundian Parliament to recall four of its nine representatives in the regional assembly. The decision gives hope to some of us who have been wondering where the August Assembly stands on the Burundi crisis. This reassures all of us now on the independence of the Assembly and its aims to pursue the common good of East African Citizen. Also commendable is the tabling for discussion of the reported mistreatment of the EAC Secretary General, Dr. Richard Sezibera while on an official mission in Burundi. We expect a condemnation in the strongest terms of the reported aggression of a person who has fully supported Burundi and Burundians both at the diplomatic level as well as within the Secretariat above and beyond what some Burundians would have done. I am not an EAC Secretariat staff but I have had few occasions to witness even from afar the fine work done by him. Now we expect similar wisdom from EAC Heads of State when they will decide on new EAC General Secretary when Dr. Sezibera’s term ends. They should not let unqualified candidates such as those recently proposed by Burundi to destroy the fine work hardly achieved for the last five years and before. Burundi as a country deserves the position and it is its right as a member country. It has many fit candidates, being one of Africa’s countries with skilled personnel since the early eighties but it is a shame to see qualified personnel denied the opportunity to compete while favouring incompetent affiliates to the ruling party. Hopefully, by next term, objectivity will prevail and Burundi becomes a respected and well governed great nation as it used to be. Bela

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EALA decision on Burundi MPs is a sign of hope