The league iteka organized on Friday October 06, 2006 the 25th edition of its usual debate centred on crucial issues of the time. The topic which was discussed was:’’ the role which should be played by the civil society, the media and political parties in a democratic country: the case of Burundi’’. The representatives of political parties which are in the Parliament and in the government: the Cndd-Fdd, the Cndd, the Uprona, the Frodebu and the MRC parties were invited to discuss on this topic in order to evaluate if the role of everyone was fully played.

The success of the democratic process had risen much hope but one year after, it is noticed that the relations between the government and its partners keep on worsening. A climate of tension which gradually settled did not allow the media, the civil society and the political parties to play their role. The participants pointed out that this situation is disappointing but it not the reason to lose hope.

According to Bizimana Francis, the spokesman of the Cndd party of Nyangoma, the misunderstanding between the party on power and its partners results from the fact that the party on power does not understand the role to be played by each of its partners in a state said to be democratic. The political parties have the role to protect the democratic procedures, to denounce all the abuses made by the government. Unfortunately, the party on power thinks that its partners are not playing their role.

According to Hatungimana Léonidas, the representative of the Cndd-Fdd, the party on the power, the opposition should not criticise the program of the party on power. It is in fact this misunderstanding of the role of each which is at the basis of the miscomprehension which exist between the government and its partners.

In a democratic system, the media has the role to educate and to inform the population on what is being done by the government including what goes wrong, said Niyongabo Anicet, the representative of the Uprona party. Political parties have to criticize the party on the power to consolidate their positions for the next elections, has he added. Then, the party on the power does not accept that and thinks that the media and the opposition are not playing their role.

The Lawyer Nzeyimana Laurent , the spokesman of the MRC party, indicated that parties which are in the government have the right to criticize the government, to criticize themselves or even to leave the cabinet. Thus, the party on power has to understand it and its relationship with the opposition must be that of partnership.

It was concluded from the debates that to ameliorate the relationship between the government, the media and the civil society, it is necessary to promote a dialogue. It is also necessary to respect the constitution and that each of actors should understands the role which is his and that of the others. D/MI.