Burundi Senate elects Methodist Pastor as President
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol III, Issue #110 | Wednesday, August 26, 2020
This is a new version of RegionWeek Newsletter for the 3rd season( July-December 2020). The content targets Business leaders, Decision-makers, and Young professionals with interests in Burundi and East Africa. Subscribe to stay productive, and competitive in a pandemic and disrupted season.
Dear Readers,
Reverend Pastor Emmanuel Sinzohagera was elected president of the senate this Tuesday morning in Gitega, the political capital. He had 38 votes out of 39 votes. A native of Bujumbura province, he succeeds in Révérien Ndikuriyo who was the head of the senate since 2015. The new president of the Upper House of Parliament had previously been in charge of development within the ruling Party, Cndd-Fdd.
Mrs. Spés Caritas Njebarikanuye was reappointed as the first vice-president of the senate. The second vice-president of the senate is Cyriaque Nshimirimana former governor of Ruyigi province.
The new office of the Upper House of Parliament is made up of three members from the ruling Cndd-Fdd party. Of the 39 senators, Cndd-Fdd has 34, the Uprona and the CNL, one senator each, and the other three are from the Batwa community.
New appointments
In a presidential Decree of 25 August, 2020 Mr. Pascal NYABENDA former President of the National Assembly was appointed the second Deputy Governor of the Burundi Central Bank (BRB). The Central Bank of Burundi was established under the name of "Bank of the Kingdom of Burundi " by the law of April 9, 1964, after the split caused by the Rwandan authorities of the time, the Bank of Issue of Rwanda and Burundi ( BERB), common to both countries central bank since August 4, 1960. Following the proclamation of the Republic on November 28, 1966, the official name of the Bank became "Bank of the Republic of Burundi.
In a presidential Decree of 25 August 2020, Mrs. Annociate Sendazirasa former Minister of Public Service, and second vice-governor of the BRB, was appointed as the Director-General of Mutuelle de la Fonction Publique (MFP). The MFP a public institution created by decree n ° 100/107 of June 27, 1980, to manage the health insurance scheme instituted in favor of public officials and the like. Its role is to organize a modern and reliable health care system based on the participation of beneficiaries.
IN THE REGION
Uganda on Monday recalled its ambassador to Denmark and her deputy after the pair were recorded apparently plotting in a Denmark to steal funds meant to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, reports NewVision.
During the meeting, in a video that circulated on social media, Ambassador Nimisha Madhvani, her deputy and other staff members are heard devising a plot to share money which was meant to aid stranded citizens.
They appear to suggest that instead of registering the money for COVID-19 use, it should be apportioned as an allowance over eight days for the diplomats.
"Give yourselves $4,000." Deputy ambassador Elly Kamahungye is heard to say, admitting there would be "jumbled accounts" while recalling how diplomats were able to bribe auditors to shelve a previous probe into embassy accounts.(NEW VISION)
Tanzania’s main opposition parties failed to form a coalition Tuesday, dashing hopes of defeating the longtime ruling party in the October presidential election. The national electoral commission said the CHADEMA party’s Tundu Lissu, ACT Wazalendo’s Bernard Membe, and NCCR Mageuzi’s Yeremia Maganja will independently challenge President John Magufuli, who seeks a second five-year term.
In Tanzania, whoever gets the most votes wins the election outright. Those pursuing a united opposition had called it the best chance at an upset. Lissu, who recently in Belgium, told reporters that the opposition parties were still deliberating on how to cooperate. “We’re still in talks,” he said, without giving details.
Membe blamed Tanzania’s election laws, which require that political parties seeking to form a coalition must present a detailed plan to the registrar of political parties. “There was no sufficient time for political parties to meet and make such decisions,” the former foreign minister said. (AP)
Thanks for reading
Fabrice Iranzi, RegionWeek.com
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