The League Iteka organized on Friday, February 9, 2007 a political debate around the topic: "the political neutrality of the political administration» where representatives of the political parties which are in the official political institutions, representatives of the civil Society and some diplomatic missions in Bujumbura were invited to share their views on this subject.

The main speakers were the representatives of the following political parties: Cndd-Fdd, Cndd, UProna, Frodebu and a representative of the ministry of work and social security.

The objective was that all participants would have the same understanding of the importance of the political neutrality of the public services and to analyse whether the law which distinguishes the technical services from the political services is strictly respected.

The different governments which ruled the country often operated significant changes as far as the appointments at the jobs of responsibility at all levels are concerned. Good jobs at different political institutions and state commercial companies. Qualified civil servants were fired out from their positions and were replaced by others less qualified than them.

This hunting was particularly observed after the elections of 1993 which put on the power the Frodebu party. The same phenomenon was observed after the elections of June 2005, gained by Cndd- Fdd party, in spite of the law which determines the political positions from the technical jobs promulgated on the 17th, March, 2005.

But this law also has a lot of weaknesses and does not clearly defines what political jobs are from technical jobs, which allow the political decision makers to take technical jobs for political ones, said most of the participants in the debate.

Accepted the representative of Cndd- Fdd, the participants recognised that the political neutrality of the public administration is not respected and that law guiding the distinction between political positions and qualified jobs is not well applied by the new democratically elected institutions.

During the debate, all the participants recognized that the law contains a lot of weaknesses and should be corrected. All the jobs has been politicized from the simple director of a primary school to the good jobs at high level of the country, where only the militants of Cndd- Fdd, the party on the power, can be appointed at those good jobs.

Concrete cases to illustrate this were given.

They denounced the politicisation of the trade of same strategic products such as sugar.

Some governors of provinces and the administrators are at the same time representatives of their parties in their provinces and communes, which makes it difficult the neutrality of the public administration. Thus, some of these authorities authorize their parties to hold meetings whenever they want but prevent others from holing them.

Some recommendations were made for the safeguard of the political neutrality of the public administration. The participants recommended that the law which distinguishes the political position from jobs that require special qualifications should be revised to make it clear as far as their definitions are concerned. They also ask the government to depoliticise technical jobs. It is necessary also to respect the present law thought it contains weaknesses.

D/M.I.