BNUB hosts first meeting of partners advisory group for 2015 elections in Burundi

10 Jul 2014

BNUB hosts first meeting of partners advisory group for 2015 elections in Burundi

10 July 2014 – The strategic advisory group for Burundi's 2015 elections, composed of Burundi bilateral and multilateral partners, today held its first meeting in Bujumbura to discuss issues related to the electoral process.

Participants were briefed by the president of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) and UN Development Program (UNDP)'s country director on the preparations, including meetings conducted by CENI with political parties as well as funding issues.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Burundi, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga and the Dean of the diplomatic corps. It took place weeks after the promulgation of the country's new electoral code and the adoption by the Government and all political parties and actors of a Code of conduct for 2015 elections on 9 June 2014.

The strategic advisory group is a consultative framework for defining guidance on the international community assistance to the electoral process in Burundi and information exchange.

The elections in Burundi will be held between May and September 2015 and will cost approximately 39 million dollars, according to Burundian authorities. International community's assistance has been requested.

The United Nations is expected to deploy an Electoral Oberver Mission (EOM) at the Gouvernment's request to monitor the electoral process before, during and after the elections.