With the upcoming elections fast approaching, people living with physical or sensory disabilities are asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) to take the necessary steps to ensure that this category of people can enjoy their rights. civil and political. This article looks at their expectations.
To maintain the secrecy of voting, polling stations should be equipped with sign language interpreters to support the deaf.
People with disabilities are often excluded from society. Sometimes, they are unable to enjoy their civil and political rights. For example, deaf and blind people are excluded because of the communication difficulties they encounter, whether in the family circle or in society in general.
Apart from the fact that people living with sensory disabilities are among the social groups underrepresented in decision-making positions, the issue related to access to electoral information and the implementation of special provisions so that this category of people can enjoy the right to vote remains an equation with several unknowns within the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). On the eve of the 2025 elections, they are asking that this institution make the necessary arrangements so that they can enjoy their political rights like all other Burundian citizens.
« There is a lot of pressure on the government to take into account the needs of people with disabilities during elections. Unfortunately, whenever the question is asked about the arrangements made for people with disabilities to be able to vote like others, the answer is that these arrangements require money and the country does not have any extra money or budget. “, comments Rémy Ndereyimana, executive secretary of the federation of associations of people living with disabilities.
Maintaining the secrecy of voting is a necessity
According to Ndereyimana, to maintain the secrecy of voting, polling stations should be equipped with sign language interpreters to support the deaf. As he explains, although some deaf people can read, these people do not understand anything about the instructions that polling station staff give to voters on the spot. The interpreter could help the deaf person understand what to do without having to rely on someone to help them vote. This will prevent the choice of the person living with a disability from being influenced by other people.
However, Mr. Ndereyimana reveals that the CENI has made some improvements by agreeing to include questions that will show that the voter has a disability in the census that will be carried out before the elections.
«All we know is that some questions from the Washington Group about whether the voter has a physical or sensory disability were included in the survey questionnaire..” he confirmed. And added: “ The CENI may not take this into account but it understands that there is a significant need. to do “
What if we made a bulletin available in Braille?
Among the people living with disabilities who need to enjoy their civil rights are the blind. Speaking to the Burundi Eco newspaper, Régis Bigirindavyi, who suffers from blindness, indicates that he is ready to participate in the next elections in 2025 as he did in 2018 during the referendum on the revision of the constitution of the Republic of Burundi. However, this psychologist and professional intern at UNFPA, reveals that someone helped him distinguish the Yes and No ballots.
« It is difficult for us that the vote is secret, he explains. If possible, the CENI can provide Braille ballots so that we can be autonomous on election day..»
What are the expectations of projects aimed at inclusive development by 2025?
For Mr. Bigirindavyi, the challenge of access to information is one of the major problems that haunt blind people and prevent them from achieving sustainable development, as few people in this category have access to the materials that blind people need to search for information on the internet.
Thus, to achieve inclusive development, this psychologist says that among the programs that must be prioritized in 2025 is the education of people living with disabilities. He shows, for example, that machines that interpret in Braille do not understand Kirundi, which is why an illiterate blind person cannot easily access information. This education must also be accompanied by financial support since these materials are expensive.
Remy Ndereyimana, for his part, asks the State and its technical and financial partners to take into account the needs of people living with disabilities in their development projects. He indicates that often the government and its partners develop programs that respond to the National Development Plan (NDP) by leaving aside people living with disabilities.
« We hope that decision-makers will implement texts and make decisions that benefit people living with disabilities. ” he says.
And to add: ” We are urging the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Employment to review the principles of the labor code because, currently, a person living with a disability is treated as a sick person when this is not the case, since a sick person can be cured, but a disability is a recurring problem that prevents someone from having access to employment. »
In Burundi, sign language and Braille writing are less developed. However, the country is teeming with people living with sensory disabilities. Some religious organizations and schools participate in the moral and intellectual education of some of them. However, the National Radio and Television of Burundi seems to be the only source of electoral information for the deaf.
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