Vice President George Kunda, is tomorrow expected in Bujumbura the capital city of Burundi to represent the Zambian republican President Rupiah Banda at the inauguration ceremony of this country’s President Pierre Nkurunziza for his second five year term in office.
The Vice President is expected to arrive in Bujumbura at 08:00hrs local time at Bujumbura International Airport.
According to Zambia’s Ambassador to Tanzania Darius Bubala told ZANIS in Bujumbura, today, that the Vice President will be accompanied by Senior Private Secretary in his office Mr. Kenneth Ngosa and other government officials.
Ambassador Bubala, who is also accredited to Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Union of the Comoros and the international conference of the Great Lakes region, said it is important for Zambia to be associated with the celebrations because the country has played a significant role in the Great Lakes Conference Process and is host to Great Lakes Conference which Zambia is the current chair.
He said the Great Lakes Conference has made great progress towards achieving total peace in the region.
Meanwhile the Capital City is a hive of activity with preparations for the inauguration which will take place tomorrow at the Parliament Buildings almost complete.
Burundi’s Pierre Nkurunziza’s ruling CNDD-FDD ( Conseil National Pour la Defense de Democratie-Front de Defense de la Democratie) party secured a 91.62% following the June 28th Presidential polls at which he was the only candidate.
President Nkurunziza remained as the sole candidate after the opposition political parties pulled out of the race in protest of what they claimed as massive fraud by the ruling party.
The boycott by an alliance of 13 opposition parties called the Democratic Alliance for Change (FDC) came after the disputed May, 24th local government elections which the opposition said were marred by malpractices and therefore not free and fair.
The poll is the first since the last active rebel group agreed a cease-fire and are viewed as a key test of Burundi’s stability as it emerges from decades of conflict.
Burundi’s first ever election, held in 1993, was won by a Hutu. Elements of the Tutsi- dominated army assassinated the new President a few months later, triggering the start of a long-running conflict between the army and the Hutu rebel groups that cost 500,000 lives.
in 1996 Pierre Buyoya a Tutsi took over power but was unable to stop the violence. under pressure from the region , negotiations between the belligerents begun in 1998, and in 2000 a peace agreement was concluded in Arusha, Tanzania. it was signed by all parties except 4 hard lined rebel groups.
Violence between these groups and the army continued , despite the institution of a transitional government in 2002, until separate cease fire agreements were concluded with 3 of them during the second half of 2003.
The UN deployed a peacekeeping force in Burundi (ONUB) in June 2004, and successful elections between June 2005 ended the transition and installed Pierre Nkurunziza ‘s CNDD_FDD party in power.
Zambia’s ground for the high level representation at this ceremony is justified on many accounts, Firstly, Burundi and Zambia have enjoyed cordial bilateral relations dating back to the early 1980s.
The two countries are also members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa COMESA.
Zambia is one of Burundi’s major trading partners in the region and exports products Sugar, cement and other building materials to fortify the booming construction industry and other post war recovery programmes.
ZANIS
For first time, RB has sent some one out, instead of him.
But he sent someone who will make people in Burundi think Zambia is experiencing a famine. Looking at an emaciated VP of a country, what will they think of Zambia? This Kalos2020. LT has been blocking me for being so critical of their sponsors.
@ #2 Kalos2121
LT has blocked you for your genocidal rants. I hope they block you again once you start your genocidal rants. Just be respectful and objective and comment in a civil manner and not genocidal rants.
The word civil does not exist in MMD and in your leader Banda. Just accept that LT will block all those that have contrary views to your outgoing MMD govt. By the way. I have not time to argue with pin heads like you. Find a topic to discuss not me. I am coming backing with brazing fire to hit you hard. Ask your brother Ben Kangwa (Senior Citizen, Veteran). I called him and he had no words to answer my questions. So, if you want civility, start with Banda and the crimes they are committing in Zambia. If you want to discuss genocide, ask MMD how they behaved at Chibombamilimo’s funeral. Ask William Banda and the issues MMD is facing in Lusaka. Ask your courts why Mpombo is jailed while Changwe walks the streets of Lusaka. Ask why FTJ is glorified in your home despite the crimes.
Free advice George, take some brown or black lipstick with you, no red lipping the Burundese, please. Dont say noone told you.
#2 and #5 good sense of humour. That really cracked me up.
Would rather Kunda represented Zambia than Sata at least he wont embarrass us and wont want to be the centre of attention as he is wont to do especially at funerals. Lets hope that despite the controversy surrounding this election, that this is the beginning of peace and stability for the people of Burundi who have suffered for so long due to civil conflict.
It is high time that the VP travelled thank you Mr. Banda let him have some space the guy is being hit left right and centre please give him another trip after this one to London so that i can give him some counselling!
You can come as hard as you want but you’ll not succeed in silencing me. That is what the PF is known for. Silencing those that oppose their unrealistic views (especially 90 day economic miracle formula they have failed to explain).
It is just some time back the PF cadre Smooth Criminal was threatening senior citizen that he’ll illegally access and post his (senior citizen) private information on the web. This was all in a bid to silence senior citizen because he brings arguments PF cadres fail to debunk. It is a fact that no PF cadre on this blog has ever out-debated senior citizen. He has hit hard on PF bloggers and they don’t like it.
cont from #9
It is no secret that you are a PF vuvuzela Kalos2020 now Kalos2121. Just prepare with Mr. Sata your place of exile in Taiwan where Mr.Sata will retire after suffering his fourth defeat at the ballot.
I are watching what you post Kalos2121 and once you start your genocidal rants once again, I will not hesitate to flag your comments.
Are we missing something here? Rupee is sending Kunda to Bujumbura, he may have noticed that the chap hasnt got long to go. This is eerie!!!
Welcome back Kalos2121 – you have great brains and wisdom thats why umwana waba times of zambia LT alekubuloka, just keep your stance.
Capitalist,
Well my dear. Accept it. I am baack. LT your MMD mouth piece will try by all means to curtail those with brains and those that have information about the failures of MMD and Banda, but guess what? When it is time to go, it really is time to go. Who knew that the Eastern bloc will crumble? Who knew that USSR and Yugoslavia will disintegrate? Who knew that Kaunda will be kicked out? Who knew that Apartheid will disappear? That my dear is what your MMD and Banda is what is going to hit them soon. For your Banda it will be worse. Once in UNIP, now it will happen to him in MMD. Sad scenario. Probably he is jinxed.
# 12, thank you for welcoming me back. I waited for some time to see if LT will be democratic and allow opposing views, but I saw no option but to change name.
George has a chance now. RB you are never in the office. When do you do your desk work?
Hey people you are craking up ! ! ! !
All the best George hope you will be given more trips.We need this humour.