Brussels, 10/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has condemned the decision by the Burundian authorities to press ahead with July's presidential election. Parliament believes the election should have been postponed in view of the worsening political and humanitarian situation.
In a resolution adopted in plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday 9 July, Parliament calls for an immediate halt to violence, urges the Burundian authorities to postpone the presidential election and calls on all parties involved in the electoral process to honour the commitments made in the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement which put an end to the civil war.
MEPs call on all parties to resume dialogue and on the Burundian authorities to involve all stakeholders in the efforts to create an environment conducive to peaceful, credible, free and fair elections. It is only through dialogue and consensus, involving the Burundian government, opposition and civil society, that a lasting political solution can be found, the resolution states.
Parliament calls for restrictions on the media and access to the internet to be lifted immediately, because legitimate elections cannot take place unless media are able to operate without restrictions, and journalists to report without intimidation.
According to the UNHCR, this crisis has already caused 127,000 people to flee to Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. Given the scale of the humanitarian crisis, MEPs welcome the Commission's announcement of an additional €1.5 million in aid but request both the EU and its member states to redouble their commitments as a matter of urgency, given the huge influx of refugees into an already fragile region, reported outbreaks of cholera and alarming reports of sexual violence. (Aminata Niang)