Opinion: Will the Cndd-Fdd stand the test of time?
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol IV, Issue #149 | Monday, January 25, 2021
Do you enjoy RegionWeek Newsletter since its launch? or have just recently become a reader? Please consider subscribing for $5 a month! Thanks!
Dear Readers,
It is a great privilege for us to officially welcome you to the fourth season of Weekday Briefings (January-June 2021), since this Monday, we will be sharing analysis to bring depth and perspectives around topics of interest for Burundians and East Africans. But first of all, let me wish each and everyone a Joyful and Productive New Year.
Right now the burning might be “what to expect in 4th season”? We are still true to our mission to create insightful, relevant content that Business leaders, Decision-makers, and Young people can put to work in their personal and professional life. This season we will continue to hold ourselves to high ethical standards: aiming for honesty, fairness, and accuracy while avoiding conflicts of interest.
We have extended our offer to include live Briefings sessions both in English and in Kirundi. We will have exclusive chats on Finance, Technologie, and Media. We hope to get your support and participation to build a new environment where ideas can spark and where innovation can be consistently watered.
That being said let us go deep with today’s topic:
Burundi ruling party elects new Secretary-General
The Cndd-Fdd members in an extraordinary Convention have elected on January 24th, 2021 in Gitega, Mr. Réverien Ndikuriyo as the new Secretary-General of Cndd-Fdd, the ruling Party.
Senator Ndikuriyo replaces Evariste Ndayishimiye, who had been in charge of the secretariat since 2016 when there was a review of the governing bodies of the party.
As Journal Iwacu notes that Mr. Ndikuriyo is a hardliner, his speeches are too direct, and not very diplomatic" and much likely to put off the moderate wing of the party.
50 years old, Révérien Ndikuriyo was born in Kayogoro in Makamba province. He was a student at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Burundi when he fled to join the CNDD-FDD rebellion in 1995.
After the movement was transformed into a party following the signing of the ceasefire in November 2003, Mr. Ndikuriyo became governor of his native province, deputy, before being elected senator in 2010. From 2015-2020, he was president of the senate.
Why choosing Ndikuriyo was very crucial?
In every aspect of politics, there is no such thing as coincidence. Choosing Mr. Ndikuriyo is a revelation of where the Cndd-Fdd party is heading, the strategy it is willing to put in place to face its challenges, or to build on new opportunities.
Since the inception of Cndd-Fdd, repetitive internal divisions have challenged its fight and the management of its power.
Those who got the chance to read Cndd-Fdd’s recent history know how the transformation of the Cndd-Fdd into a political party has ended the battle between three politico-military formations which for some years discussed the paternity of the Cndd and its Fdd armed branch.
Later Nyangoma kept his Cndd, the wing of Ndayikengurukiye was transformed into Kaze-FDD, while Nkurunziza and Radjabu kept the two acronyms Cndd-Fdd, that evolved in the ruling party as we know it today.
The shock waves of past conflicts, mismanagement, greed, corruption were seen by many analysts as the core challenges that led Cndd-Fdd to even excommunicate some of its historical leaders.
A new era?
After the sedition of key Cndd-Fdd leaders in the midst of the 2015 succession fight, many commentators thought past demons have resurrected, betting on the decline. Choosing Senator Reverien Ndikuriyo as the Secretary-General is seen as a move that reintroduces the wish to build a strong party devoid of internal weakness.
“Anyone found guilty of corruption or embezzlement of public funds will be dismissed, ordered to reimburse everything, and will be blacklisted so that they are never again employed by the state of Burundi,” said President Ndayishimiye in closing remarks this Sunday after the convention.
This statement subtly introduces the core mission for the new Secretary-General, to usher in more accountability and stewardship from all party members with key responsibilities.
Burundi, like many Sub-Saharan African countries, is entering a very demanding third decade of democratization. The Cndd-Fdd knows it and by choosing Mr. Ndikuriye the message is clear: “we will be more responsive to majority interests.”
Will Senator Reverien Ndikuriyo win this challenge and propel his party into a new era? Or will he bow to the weight of the past?
Burundians are becoming more educated than ever before and have access to a mass of political information that has replaced parties in their role as political communicators. Expanding education, technological advances, and consumerization will contribute to a profound shift in the way Burundians engage with politics.
In all cases, between 2021- 2027, Cndd-Fdd ought to build the loyalty and affection of those sections of the electorate that they used to be able to call their own.
Time will tell…
Thanks for Reading!
Fabrice Iranzi, Editor in Chief
RegionWeek.com
This is RegionWeek Newsletter for the 4th Season (January-June 2020), a briefing that adds depth to strategic news events and topics. A quick note that shares ideas on what you can do next. Business Leaders, Decision Makers, and Young Professionals trust RegionWeek for concise analysis and Unique perspectives.
RegionWeek is a Burundi-based media for a new generation of achievers in Africa, a platform devoted to chronicling the journey to Freedom and Empowerment.