ISS Seminar, Addis Ababa: Elections in the Great Lakes: Analysis of the Polls in Burundi and Rwanda and Post-Electoral Prospects

Date: 2010-08-11

Venue: Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

RSVP: Beakal Bisrat
Tel: (+251) 011-372-11-54
Fax: (+251) 011-372-59-54/5/6
E-mail: [email protected]

Hosted by the African Conflict Prevention Programme (ACPP)-Addis Ababa

Election fever has hit the Great Lakes Region. Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are scheduled to hold polls in 2011, whilst Burundians and Rwandans had/have an opportunity to express their democratic right this year. More specifically, from May to September 2010, Burundi organised/organises communal, presidential, legislative and colline polls. Rwanda is due to hold a presidential poll on 9 August this year.

For Burundi, the ongoing electoral marathon is only the second post-transitional series of polls. The claim of massive fraud by the opposition during the communal elections on 24 May and its subsequent boycott of the presidential (28 June) and legislative elections (23 July and 28 July) have led to some tension as well as an overall weakening of the democratic process. Preparations are ongoing to ensure that the one remaining poll on 7 September unfolds smoothly. At present issues related to way forward deserve attention such the future of ADC-Ikibiri (l’Alliance des Démocrates pour le Changement au Burundi-Ikibiri), the coalition of opposition parties formed following the first polls in May, as well as the management of its victory at the polls by the incoming CNDD-FDD administration. In order to look into these issues, an analysis of the ongoing electoral process is pertinent.

In the case of Rwanda, the upcoming poll on 9 August has raised tensions in the county. Whilst it is widely acknowledged that the country has made considerable progress in terms of economic development, concerns have been raised with regards to its progress in consolidating democracy and the credibility of the electoral process. In light of this, issues related to the electoral process as well as Rwanda’s post-electoral outlook are important to consider when looking at prospects for stability in Rwanda in particular and the Great Lakes region in general.

Discussing and analysing the aforementioned issues will be the aim of the ACPP Seminar scheduled for 11 August in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In order to achieve this objective, a Panel consisting of representatives of Burundian and Rwandan civil society as well as an ISS researcher will present perspectives on the aforementioned issues, followed by questions & answers and discussion.

The ACPP strives to complement and support the work of the African Union (AU) and AU Member States and other stakeholders, particularly on issues of peace and security. The ISS Public Seminar Series is part of the ACPP’s effort at consensus-building by providing a platform for sharing information, encouraging policy debates and dialogues on the African peace and security agenda. The aim is to stimulate quality discussion, in-depth and constructive interaction between participants.

Please note that discussions occur under ISS Rules. Participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed without his/her express permission.