Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

Regional clashes in late 2008 led to renewed fighting and ensuing flows of refugees in the neighbouring Kivu provinces but left Burundi mainly untouched. Another upside for Burundi was the peace agreement with the last remaining rebel movement Palipehutu-FNL, which in May agreed to lay down its weapons in exchange for government positions. Although the agreement was later reversed and corroborated on and off, the foundations for a lasting settlement seemed to have materialised.  

Setbacks and controversy

Nevertheless, Burundi also experienced a great many setbacks concerning its democratic development. Especially the willingness of political parties to work together in the multiparty system proved a strenuous process with some small ups and many downs. A controversial ruling of the Constitutional Court in June ousted twenty-two democratically elected parliamentarians from Burundi’s lower house. This split constituted one of many internal divisions that Burundian parties, also those in opposition, were faced with. Human rights violations continued, also aimed at opposition members.  

The country thus struggled to maintain its young multiparty democracy and the implementation of its power-sharing government, in which most parliamentary parties constitutionally participate. In 2008, the unease with which former enemies thus far cooperated under this constitution, led to louder calls for constitutional reform. As the 2010 presidential and parliamentary elections drew nearer, the political power-sharing system, based on fixed ethnic quota was openly questioned, much to the discontent of the international community, who consider the meddling with quota for ethnic representation a risky affair. Many expect that violence will remain one of Burundi’s main concerns until the 2010 elections.  

Outlook

All in all, political relations remained tense, as they have always been. Momentums for political openings, such as those during the joint government/UN led multiparty dialogue conferences, appeared sporadically, but often slipped away again. In spite of its many setbacks, though, by the end of 2008 Burundian democracy seemed to stand neither better, nor much worse than at the start of the year.