II ~I ~ ~II~ ~~ ~II ~ ~II - IFES

IFES Pre-electionAssessment: BurundiIn February 1991, Burundi ratified a Charter of National Unity, guaranteeing equal rights toall Burundese regardless of ethnic origin. A Constitutional Commission, again selected toensure representation of all ethnic groups, was asked to develop a constitution for Burundi toreplace the one suspended in 1987 when President Buyoya took over power in a bloodlesscoup. Violence between the Hutu and Tutsi erupted again in November 1991. Nevertheless,President Buyoya remains committed to completing Burundi's transition to democratic rule evenas continuing tensions between the country's two largest ethnic groups threaten to derail theprocess. In April 1992, insurgents entered the country from the northwest and continue to havea destabilizing effect on the nation.In April 1992, political parties are expected to begin organizing and registering in preparationfor elections in early 1993. However, the challenge for Burundi in the next several monthsgoes far beyond the mechanics of organizing citizens for political participation. At the veryleast, it involves the building of democratic institutions, and a civil society that respects the ruleof law and the equality of all peoples regardless of ethnic background, after generations ofinstitutionalized segregation.7