Brussels, 18/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - The EU has responded with “concern and regret” at the attacks on the homes of several parliamentarians in Bujumbura on the evening of 8 March 2008. In a declaration published on Tuesday 18 March, the Slovenian Presidency condemned these attacks as it does any violation of the security of Burundi's parliamentarians. It calls on the Burundian government authorities to establish the truth about the attacks without delay and to bring the perpetrators and backers to justice. The EU is concerned at “the malfunctioning of the representative institutions, in particular the National Assembly, which is too often paralysed by political conflicts far removed from the economic and social issues that the country has to face as a matter of priority”. It calls on all Burundian political players to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue and consultation. The Slovenian Presidency of the EU concludes that “the need to give precedence to Burundi's general interest and to its development and recovery, within the framework of the peace agreements and of the democratic constitution which the country has adopted, is especially prompted by the persistence of bloody clashes between the security forces and elements of the National Liberation Forces (FNL) which are continuing to cause loss of life”. (H.B.)