![[Burundi] Burundi 2nd Vice-President Alice Nzomukunda, from President Pierre Nkurunziza’s ruling party, Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces pour la defense de la democratie (CNDD-FDD). Place: Bujumbura, Burundi. [Date picture taken:](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/200583113.jpg.webp?itok=fhBo1wba "Burundi's former second Vice President Alice Nzomukunda")
Burundi's second vice president, Alice Nzomukunda, resigned on Tuesday in protest at interference by the chairman of the ruling party.
"The government's hands are tied by [the chairman] Hussein Radjabu," Nzomukunda said at a news conference in the capital, Bujumbura.
Alice Nzomukunda was Burundi’s second highest ranking official in the ruling party. Burundi recently emerged from 12 years of brutal civil war, but Nzomukunda said Radjabu was not respecting the country's institutions and was obstructing efforts to create a functional peace-time government.
Nzomukunda’s accusations come when several organisations are accusing the government of human-rights abuses.
The spokesman for the ruling Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie - Forces de defense pour la democratie (CNDD-FDD), Evariste Nsabiyumva, denied that Radjabu was an obstacle to good governance.
"We are in a democracy in which everyone is free to express their views and in which government leaders are free to resign," he said. "However, what Nzomukunda says about the party chairman are big lies."
Nzomukunda said the catalyst for her decision to resign was a public statement Radjabu made on Sunday at a CNDD-FDD rally in Bujumbura. Nzomukunda said Radjabu wrongly claimed that the World Bank agreed to donate US $35 million to Burundi.
"What he called a donation is nothing but a loan." Nzomukunda said. "He contradicted what I told parliamentarians on Thursday. I was disgraced in Sunday’s rally, a celebration in which I was taking part."
Nzomukunda is a top official of the CNDD-FDD and was a fighter with the former rebel movement before it signed a ceasefire agreement with the government at the time in December 2002.
She also said Radjabu did not say that the World Bank would only disburse the money following an audit of the sale of the presidential jet.
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"The government's hands are tied by [the chairman] Hussein Radjabu," Nzomukunda said at a news conference in the capital, Bujumbura.
Alice Nzomukunda was Burundi’s second highest ranking official in the ruling party. Burundi recently emerged from 12 years of brutal civil war, but Nzomukunda said Radjabu was not respecting the country's institutions and was obstructing efforts to create a functional peace-time government.
Nzomukunda’s accusations come when several organisations are accusing the government of human-rights abuses.
The spokesman for the ruling Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie - Forces de defense pour la democratie (CNDD-FDD), Evariste Nsabiyumva, denied that Radjabu was an obstacle to good governance.
"We are in a democracy in which everyone is free to express their views and in which government leaders are free to resign," he said. "However, what Nzomukunda says about the party chairman are big lies."
Nzomukunda said the catalyst for her decision to resign was a public statement Radjabu made on Sunday at a CNDD-FDD rally in Bujumbura. Nzomukunda said Radjabu wrongly claimed that the World Bank agreed to donate US $35 million to Burundi.
"What he called a donation is nothing but a loan." Nzomukunda said. "He contradicted what I told parliamentarians on Thursday. I was disgraced in Sunday’s rally, a celebration in which I was taking part."
Nzomukunda is a top official of the CNDD-FDD and was a fighter with the former rebel movement before it signed a ceasefire agreement with the government at the time in December 2002.
She also said Radjabu did not say that the World Bank would only disburse the money following an audit of the sale of the presidential jet.
an/dh/mw/oss/ss
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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