Jean-Luc Passie
9 November 2007
Kigali — Burundi first vice president, Martin Nduwimana has resigned to pave way for a new government team. "We have tendered our resignation to His Excellency the President of the Republic (Pierre Nkurunziza), and he has accepted", Nduwimana told reporters Wednesday evening shortly after meeting the President.
Nduwimana was appointed first vice president in 2005 after legislative and presidential elections, on behalf of the UPRONA opposition party. The 2005 poll was won by the CNDD-FDD party, a former rebel movement. Two months ago, Nduwimana was sacked from the UPRONA leadership, on the grounds that he no longer represented the party's interest.
The move came after opposition MPs had accused the president of failing to include opposition figures in his cabinet, which according to them was a clear violation of the constitution. As a consequence, the government could no longer have a majority in Parliament, and therefore could not get laws passed. President Nkurunziza struck a deal with opposition parties last September and assured the nation that a solution to the political crisis had been found. "In tendering our resignations, we have brought our contribution to this process (of dialogue) hoping it is going to succeed", said Nduwimana. Burundi is trying to emerge from 13 years of civil war which killed over 250,000 persons and shattered an already fledging economy.
Although the 2005 poll was held successfully, it didn't help to improve the situation.
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