Parties agree to scrap ethnic political groupings

At a meeting to work out the modalities of a democratic general election, Burundian politicians agreed to scrap ethnic political groupings, to alternate power at the presidential level and to keep the Senate as an institution in charge of ensuring ethnic balance, the Burundian news agency, ABP, reported on Tuesday.

The politicians agreed on the three issues on Monday during the meeting chaired by President Domitien Ndayizeye. The meeting continued on Tuesday to examine the 2000 Arusha peace accord in order to improve some of its provisions, ABP reported.

Most parties and movements agreed that the G7 and G10 groupings should be scrapped because these "sacrificed Burundi on the altar of tribalism", ABP reported. Some politicians proposed a coalition to replace these groupings.

"All parties were in agreement that alternation between various tribes at the helm would be reassuring for everyone," ABP reported.

Participants at the meeting included representatives of registered political parties and armed movements that have signed ceasefire agreements with the government.

ABP reported that Ndayizeye urged the participants to discuss the issue of various elective offices as stipulated in the Arusha accord. The positions include those of president, members of parliament, senators, administrators and councillors of communes.