Promoting governments’ accountability in the EAC: a case study of Burundi

This study critically analyses the implementation of the constitutional principle of accountability in the Republic of Burundi insofar as the government is concerned. The content and implementation of the two legal instruments with which the municipal legal framework is made up, that is the 28th August 2000 Arusha Accord and the 18th March 2005 Constitution, are examined in the light the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. The government comprises the President of the Republic, two Vice-Presidents and Ministers. The main objective of the research being to critically analyse the implementation of Burundi government accountability, the present work shows that the enforcement of that constitutional tenet leaves a lot to be desired, mostly when it comes to the President. However, the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community offers avenue to a positive change provided that EAC organs and institutions are supposed to guarantee that good governance is promoted by partner states. The needed improvement can be reached, inter alia, through a constitutional amendment and a legal education aimed at sensitising the population on the importance of accountability.