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Tanzania yesterday warned the grumbling opposition political party leaders in Burundi to either participate in tomorrow's General Election or risk alienation in the East and Central African region. Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Bernard Membe said the country would no longer be willing to shoulder the burden of hosting refugees fleeing instability in Burundi.
Addressing a press conference in his Dar es Salaam office, the minister said the opposition parties that had threatened to boycott the elections could plunger their country back into civil unrest. "Tanzania will not be happy to see the leaders seek refuge and meditation here after causing chaos in their country," Mr Membe warned. He said Tanzania had suffered huge consequences hosting waves of Burundi refugees in the past and would not be open its borders again. Mr Membe said there was no need for the opposition parties to boycott Monday's elections, which were part of the process to end Burundi's political misery and instability and restore peace and prosperity. He said members of the international observer team in Burundi, including the European Union, had also recommended that elections of senators, MPs and the President should go ahead. He called on Burundi politicians to learn from the country's civil war ravaged past. By boycotting elections, he said, the politicians risked sparking off a new round of unrest. Burundi's 14 opposition parties have vowed to boycott the elections over alleged unfair treatment and irregularities during the recent grassroots poll. Yesterday, Mr Membe said that a meeting held in Burundi a week ago between the opposition party officials and the foreign ministers of the East African Community member countries had failed to convince them to take part in the elections. Only one party changed its stance and will now participate. The parties are demanding the replacement of the Electoral Commission and a re-run of the grassroots elections. Mr Membe said those who gave the meeting a miss included FNL leader Agathon Rwasa. "Our efforts to reach him failed and there is fear over what he could be up to," the minister said of the former rebel leader in the country's long-running civil war. Mr Membe chaired the talks. Tanzania, which played a big role in restoring peace in Burundi, hosted Mr Rwasa until a peace agreement was signed over two years ago He agreed to work with President Pierre Nkurunziza, who incorporated him and members of his party in the government. The President is running for re-election as a candidate of the ruling party, CNDD-FDD. This year, Tanzania granted citizenship to 162,000 Burundian refugees who fled civil unrest in their country. Some had lived in the country for over three decades. Another 53,600 refugees opted for repatriation to Burundi. Tanzania's mediation in the Burundi crisis led to the signing of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.
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