Politics of Burundi
Encyclopedia
Politics of Burundi takes place in a framework of a transitional presidential
representative democratic
republic
, whereby the President of Burundi is both head of state
and head of government
, and of a multi-party system
. Executive power
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
and the two chambers of parliament, the Senate
and the National Assembly
.
and a long peace process
and move to democracy
. The current President of Burundi is Pierre Nkurunziza
, a former rebel leader of the Hutu
National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy
who was elected unopposed
as the new President of Burundi by the parliament
on 19 August 2005. Nkurunziza was the first president chosen through democratic means since the start of the civil war
in 1993 and was sworn in on 26 August, replacing transitional president Domitien Ndayizeye
.
In November 1995, the presidents of Burundi
, Rwanda
, Uganda
, and Zaire
(currently Democratic Republic of Congo) announced a regional initiative for a negotiated peace in Burundi facilitated by former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere
. In July 1996, former Burundian President Buyoya
returned to power in a bloodless coup
. He declared himself president of a transitional republic, even as he suspended the National Assembly, banned opposition groups, and imposed a nationwide curfew. Widespread condemnation of the coup ensued, and regional countries imposed economic sanctions pending a return to a constitutional government. Buyoya agreed in 1996 to liberalize political parties. Nonetheless, fighting between the army and Hutu
militias continued. In June 1998, Buyoya promulgated a transitional constitution and announced a partnership between the government and the opposition-led National Assembly. After facilitator Julius Nyerere's death in October 1999, the regional leaders appointed Nelson Mandela
as Facilitator
of the Arusha
peace process. Under Mandela the peace process has revived and important progress has taken place.
|Pierre Nkurunziza
|CNDD-FDD
|26 August 2005
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|Vice-presidents
|Thérence Sinunguruza
|UPRONA
|29 August 2010
|-
|Gervais Rufyiri
|
|29 August 2010
|}
The president is elected by the people. He nominates two vice-presidents, who form together with the Council of Ministers
the executive branch.
(Assemblée nationale) has 118 members, elected for a five year term by proportional representation
with a 2% barrier. The Senate
(Sénat) has 49 members, elected for a five year term by electoral colleges of communal councilors. Extra seats in both chambers can be added to ensure that ethnic and gender quotas are met. Burundi has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties and a third party that is electorally successful. Parties are usually based on ethnic background.
, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rural
, Bururi
, Cankuzo
, Cibitoke
, Gitega
, Karuzi
, Kayanza
, Kirundo
, Makamba
, Muramvya
, Muyinga
, Mwaro
, Ngozi
, Rutana
and Ruyigi
.
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
, whereby the President of Burundi is both head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and the two chambers of parliament, the Senate
Senate of Burundi
The Senate is the upper chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of no fewer than 37 and no more than 54 members who serve 5-year terms....
and the National Assembly
National Assembly of Burundi
The National Assembly is the lower chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of 100 directly elected members and between 18 to 21 co-opted members who serve five-year terms....
.
Political landscape after the civil war
The political landscape of Burundi has been dominated in recent years by the civil warCivil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
and a long peace process
Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding is a term used within the international development community to describe the processes and activities involved in resolving violent conflict and establishing a sustainable peace....
and move to democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. The current President of Burundi is Pierre Nkurunziza
Pierre Nkurunziza
Pierre Nkurunziza is a Burundian politician who has been President of Burundi since 2005. He is the Chairman of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy , the ruling party in Burundi, and also the current Chairman of the East African...
, a former rebel leader of the Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy
National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy
The National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy was the most significant rebel group active in the Burundi Civil War and became a major political party in Burundi...
who was elected unopposed
Burundi elections, 2005
The Republic of Burundi held several elections in 2005. The polls returned the nation to constitutional democratic rule after a devastating civil war that arose from long-standing ethnic tensions between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority....
as the new President of Burundi by the parliament
Parliament of Burundi
The Parliament of Burundi consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The National Assembly...
on 19 August 2005. Nkurunziza was the first president chosen through democratic means since the start of the civil war
Burundi Civil War
The Burundi Civil War was an armed conflict lasting from 1993 to 2005. The civil war was the result of long standing ethnic divisions between the Hutu and the Tutsi tribes in Burundi...
in 1993 and was sworn in on 26 August, replacing transitional president Domitien Ndayizeye
Domitien Ndayizeye
Domitien Ndayizeye is a Burundian politician who was President of Burundi from 2003 to 2005. Of Hutu descent, he succeeded Pierre Buyoya—a Tutsi—as national president on April 30, 2003, after serving as Buyoya's vice-president for 18 months...
.
In November 1995, the presidents of Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, and Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
(currently Democratic Republic of Congo) announced a regional initiative for a negotiated peace in Burundi facilitated by former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere
Julius Nyerere
Julius Kambarage Nyerere was a Tanzanian politician who served as the first President of Tanzania and previously Tanganyika, from the country's founding in 1961 until his retirement in 1985....
. In July 1996, former Burundian President Buyoya
Pierre Buyoya
Major Pierre Buyoya is a Burundian politician who has ruled Burundi twice, from 1987 to 1993 and from 1996 to 2003...
returned to power in a bloodless coup
1996 Burundian coup d'état
The 1996 Burundian coup d'état was a military coup d'état that took place in Burundi on 25 July 1996. In the midst of the Burundi Civil War, former president Pierre Buyoya deposed Hutu President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya. According to Amnesty International, in the weeks following the coup, more...
. He declared himself president of a transitional republic, even as he suspended the National Assembly, banned opposition groups, and imposed a nationwide curfew. Widespread condemnation of the coup ensued, and regional countries imposed economic sanctions pending a return to a constitutional government. Buyoya agreed in 1996 to liberalize political parties. Nonetheless, fighting between the army and Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
militias continued. In June 1998, Buyoya promulgated a transitional constitution and announced a partnership between the government and the opposition-led National Assembly. After facilitator Julius Nyerere's death in October 1999, the regional leaders appointed Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
as Facilitator
Facilitator
A facilitator is someone who helps a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve them without taking a particular position in the discussion...
of the Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
peace process. Under Mandela the peace process has revived and important progress has taken place.
Executive branch
|President|Pierre Nkurunziza
Pierre Nkurunziza
Pierre Nkurunziza is a Burundian politician who has been President of Burundi since 2005. He is the Chairman of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy , the ruling party in Burundi, and also the current Chairman of the East African...
|CNDD-FDD
National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy
The National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy was the most significant rebel group active in the Burundi Civil War and became a major political party in Burundi...
|26 August 2005
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|Vice-presidents
Vice-President of Burundi
The position of Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi was created in June 1998, when a transitional constitution went into effect. It replaced the post of Prime Minister.- Interim Period :...
|Thérence Sinunguruza
|UPRONA
Union for National Progress
The Union for National Progress is a nationalist political party in Burundi, receiving most of its support from members of the Tutsi ethnic group. It is celebrated for its role in gaining Burundian independence. UPRONA's most famous prime minister and Burundi National Hero is Prince Louis Rwagasore...
|29 August 2010
|-
|Gervais Rufyiri
|
|29 August 2010
|}
The president is elected by the people. He nominates two vice-presidents, who form together with the Council of Ministers
Ministers of the Burundian Government
The Government of Burundi consists of a 20-member Council of Ministers appointed by the President. The Council of Ministers, together with the President and Vice-Presidents, forms the executive branch of government in the country....
the executive branch.
Legislative branch
The National AssemblyNational Assembly of Burundi
The National Assembly is the lower chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of 100 directly elected members and between 18 to 21 co-opted members who serve five-year terms....
(Assemblée nationale) has 118 members, elected for a five year term by proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
with a 2% barrier. The Senate
Senate of Burundi
The Senate is the upper chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of no fewer than 37 and no more than 54 members who serve 5-year terms....
(Sénat) has 49 members, elected for a five year term by electoral colleges of communal councilors. Extra seats in both chambers can be added to ensure that ethnic and gender quotas are met. Burundi has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties and a third party that is electorally successful. Parties are usually based on ethnic background.
Political parties and elections
Administrative divisions
Burundi has 17 provinces: BubanzaBubanza Province
-Communes:It is divided administratively into 5 communes:* Commune of Bubanza * Commune of Gihanga * Commune of Musigati * Commune of Mpanda * Commune of Rugazi...
, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rural
Bujumbura Rural Province
Bujumbura Rural is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi. Former President of Burundi Cyprien Ntaryamira was born here.Bujumbura Rural Province is made up of the following communes: Mugongo-Manga, Isale, Mutimbuzi, Kanyosha, Kabezi, Muhuta, Nyabiraba, Mukike, and Mubimbi.The province surrounds the...
, Bururi
Bururi Province
Bururi is one of the seventeen provinces of Burundi. It is also the largest. It includes the city of Bururi, the provincial capital, and the city of Rumonge which sits on the shores of Lake Tanganyika...
, Cankuzo
Cankuzo Province
Cankuzo is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi. Located in the eastern part of the country, the province covers an area of 1,965 km². The provincial capital is Cankuzo.-Communes:...
, Cibitoke
Cibitoke Province
Cibitoke is one of the 17 provinces of Republic of Burundi....
, Gitega
Gitega Province
Gitega is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi. Its capital is Gitega. It has a population of about 675,000 and an area of 1,979 km²....
, Karuzi
Karuzi Province
Karuzi is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi....
, Kayanza
Kayanza Province
Kayanza is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi. Its capital city is also called Kayanza....
, Kirundo
Kirundo Province
Kirundo is one of the seventeen provinces of Burundi with seven communes . Kirundo has three big lakes: Cohoha, Rweru, and Rwihinda. Lakes Cohoha and Rweru are located in commune Busone, and Lake Rwihinda is in commune Kirundo...
, Makamba
Makamba Province
Makamba is the southernmost province of Burundi. The province has a population of 357,492 and covers an area of 1,960 km². The provincial capital is Makamba.makamba has six communes. Many refugees have returned from Tanzania to this province, especially to the communes of Kayogoro, Nyanza lac,...
, Muramvya
Muramvya Province
Muramvya is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi. The capital is Muramvya.It is also known as "Iwabo W'Imana". It has a unique cultural landscape .- Culture :...
, Muyinga
Muyinga Province
Muyinga is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi....
, Mwaro
Mwaro Province
Mwaro is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi. Its capital is Mwaro.Mwaro one of two provinces that were created in 2002 as a result of splitting the Muramvya province; the other province retained the name of Muramvya....
, Ngozi
Ngozi Province
Ngozi is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi.The name Ngozi stands for blessing....
, Rutana
Rutana Province
Rutana is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi.The communes of Rutana are:* Bukemba* Giharo* Gitanga* Mpinga-Kavoye* Musongati* Rutana...
and Ruyigi
Ruyigi Province
Ruyigi is one of the 17 provinces of Burundi....
.
International relations
Burundi is member of ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO.External links
- Global Integrity Report: Burundi reports on Burundi's anti-corruption efforts.