Burundi’s parliament passes vote on withdrawal from ICC
What you need to know:
After the debate at the National Assembly, out of 110 MPs who attended the session, 94 voted for the bill, two were against and 14 others abstained.
Bujumbura. Lawmakers at both chambers of the Burundian parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, Wednesday passed the bill on Burundi’s pullout from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Burundian Justice Minister Aimee Laurentine Kanyana was invited in separate plenary sessions at both chambers of the Burundian parliament to convince lawmakers to vote for the bill.
“The International Criminal Court (ICC) has become an instrument of superpowers to fight against African countries. That is why we (Burundi) want to leave the ICC,” said Burundian Justice Minister Aimee Laurentine Kanyana.
The move which has been applauded by the Burundian ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), was however criticized by opposition lawmakers who said that crimes will go unprosecuted.
MP Zenon Ndaruvukanye said the international community is unfair as it supports Burundian criminals living abroad.
“The international community only plans to destroy Burundi despite our good plans for democracy.
That’s why I, as a lawmaker, think that leaving the ICC is very good because the ICC is unfair. It promotes wrongdoers and harasses those seeking the country’s development,” said Ndaruvukanye during the debate.
However, a few lawmakers opposed the bill during the debate.”
Leaving the ICC is like burying Burundi considering unpunished crimes currently taking place in Burundi,” Fabien Banciryanino said. MP Andre Ndayizamba stressed that leaving the ICC is a “political and diplomatic error” for Burundi. After the debate at the National Assembly, out of 110 MPs who attended the session, 94 voted for the bill, two were against and 14 others abstained.
The minimum required number of MPs for the bill to be adopted was 73, according to the speaker of the National Assembly, Pascal Nyabenda.
Last week, Burundian First Vice-President Gaston Sindimwo announced that Burundi had decided to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) because it only prosecutes Africans.Burundi’s pullout of the ICC follows Tuesday’s decision to suspend all cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Burundi. (NMG)
