The President of the opposition National Council for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD), Leonard Nyangoma, announced Monday evening that he planned to return home from exile 'at any time', after fleeing his country in the aftermath of the 2010 general elections 'for safety reasons'.
Last week, the President of the Movement for Solidarity and Democracy (MSD), Alexis Sinduhije, also announced his intention to return home after being exiled for same reason.
MSD and the CNDD are part of a dozen of parties under the Democratic Alliance for Change (ADC), which contested the legality of the 2010 municipal elections before withdrawing from what was called at that time an “electoral marathon”, which involved the parliamentary, presidential elections as well as popular consultations.
The two opposition figures said they are returning home to prepare for upcoming elections slated for 2015.
Nyangoma and Sinduhije finished third and fourth respectively in the municipal elections of 2010.
The leader of the Forces for National Liberation (FNL ex-rebellion) Agathon Rwasa has also been on exile abroad since 2010 and has not yet expressed his intention to return home.
FNL finished second in the 2010 municipal elections, behind the National Council for the Defence of Democracy / Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD, ruling party).
Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has in recent days urged political leaders in exile to return home, and said he would guarantee their safety.
So far, only the spokesman of the Burundian Front for Democracy (FRODEBU), Pancrace Cimpaye, has returned home from exile in Belgium.
Pana 12/02/2013