AFRICAN ELECTIONS DATABASE
Home | About the Database | Site Updates | Recent Elections | Terms and Definitions | Election Calendar | Electoral Authorities | Election Chronology | Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights
Elections in Burundi
 
Political Profile
Political System: Democracy
President: Pierre Nkurunziza (CNDD-FDD) [since 26 August 2005; elected 2005] The President is elected by the Parliament (National Assembly & Senate) for a 5-year term. At the next election, to be held in 2010, the President will be elected by direct popular vote.
Parliament [bicameral]
--Senate (49 Seats) 34 members (2 from each province) are indirectly elected by communal councilors, 3 members are from the ethnic Twa minority, 4 former presidents, and 8 co-opted members appointed to ensure that gender (at least 30% women) quotas are met; members serve 5-year terms.
--National Assembly (118 Seats) 100 members are elected by direct popular vote in multi-member constituencies using the party-list proportional representation system, 18 members are co-opted to ensure that constitutionally mandated ethnic (60% Hutu-40% Tutsi, and 3 Twa) and gender (at least 30% women) quotas are met; members serve 5-year terms.
Political Situation since Independence
1962-1966 Emerging Democracy
1966-1974 Military Regime & One Party State (UPRONA)
1974-1976 One Party State (UPRONA)
1976-1979 Military Regime
1979-1987 One Party State (UPRONA)
1987-1992 Military Regime & One Party State (UPRONA)
1992-1993 Multiparty Transition
1993         Democracy
1993-1996 Restricted Democratic Practice
1996         Military Regime
1996-2001 Restricted Democratic Practice
2001-2005 Transitional Government
2005-        Democracy
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 4, Civil Liberties - 5, Status: Partly Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: 2010
Next Scheduled National Assembly Election: 2010
Next Scheduled Senate Election: 2010
Political Parties: CNDD - National Council for the Defense of Democracy (predominately ethnic Hutu), CNDD-FDD - National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (predominately ethnic Hutu), FRODEBU - Front for Democracy in Burundi (predominately ethnic Hutu), MRC-Rurenzangemero - Movement for the Rehabilitation of Citizens-Rurenzangemero (predominately ethnic Tutsi), PARENA - Party for National Recovery (predominately ethnic Tutsi), PDC - Christian Democratic Party (conservative), PP - People’s Party (predominately ethnic Hutu), PRP - People’s Reconciliation Party (predominately ethnic Hutu, royalist), RADDES - Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (predominately ethnic Tutsi), RPB - Rally for the People of Burundi (predominately ethnic Hutu), UNARU - African National Union of Ruanda-Urundi, UPRONA - Union for National Progress (authoritarian, predominately ethnic Tutsi).
Coalitions: Common Front (FC) [Contested the 1961 Legislative Assembly Election] The main party in the Front was the Christian Democratic Party (PDC).
 
Election Results
 
 
Presidential
--Multiparty: 1993
--Single Party: 1984
Legislative
--Multiparty: 1961, 1965, 1993, 2005
--Single Party: 1982
Referenda: 1981, 1991, 1992, 2005
Communal: 1960, 2005
 
 
18 September 1961 Legislative Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (approx. 73%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

772,431

Party/[Coalition]

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (64)

Union for National Progress (UPRONA)

627,453

81.23%

58

Common Front [FC]

138,406

17.92%

06

African National Union of Ruanda-Urundi (UNARU)

1,641

0.21%

-

Others

4,931

0.64%

-

 
10 May 1965 Legislative Election
Senate

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

House of Representatives

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Senate

National Assembly

Number of Seats  (16)

Number of Seats (33)

Union for National Progress (UPRONA)

12

21

People’s Party (PP)

-

10

Independents

-

02

Others

04

-

 
Single Party Elections
Sole Legal Party: Union for National Progress (UPRONA)

18 November 1981 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Presidential Republic, Sole Legal Party, Unicameral Legislature

Registered Voters

1,702,623

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,604,722 (94.3%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     10,939

Total Valid Votes

1,593,783

"Yes" Votes

1,582,244 (99.28%)

"No" Votes

     11,539 (00.72%)

October 1982 National Assembly Election

July 1984 Presidential Election (Jean-Baptiste Bagaza elected unopposed with 99.63% of the vote)

 
09 February 1991 "Charter of National Unity" Referendum
Description: The Charter of National Unity was intended to formally abolish ethnic discrimination and to permit the creation of a new constitution to further the democratization process.

Registered Voters

2,186,591

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,103,938 (96.2%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     13,163

Total Valid Votes

2,090,775

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

1,876,958

89.77%

"No" Votes

213,817

10.23%

 
09 March 1992 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Multiparty System; 5-year presidential term, renewable once; proportional representation.

Registered Voters

2,287,554

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,218,449 (97.0%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

       2,753

Total Valid Votes

2,215,696

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

2,003,411

90.42%

"No" Votes

212,285

09.58%

 
01 June 1993 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters

2,355,126

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,291,746 (97.3%)

Candidate (Party)

% of Votes

Melchior Ndadaye (FRODEBU)**

64.75%

Pierre Buyoya (UPRONA)***

32.39%

Pierre-Claver Sendegeya (PRP)

1.44%

*The percentage of votes received by candidates does not add up to 100%, most likely (but unconfirmed) due to inclusion of the percentage of invalid/blank votes cast in the final results.
**FRODEBU candidate Melchior Ndadaye was also supported by the People's Party (PP), Liberal Party (PL), and the Rally for the People of Burundi (RPB).
***UPRONA candidate Pierre Buyoya was also supported by the Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (RADDES).
 
29 June 1993 National Assembly Election*

Registered Voters

2,360,090

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,156,659 (91.4%)

Party

% of Votes

Number of Seats (81)

Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU)

71.40%

65

Union for National Progress (UPRONA)

21.43%

16

People’s Reconciliation Party (PRP)

1.38%

-

Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (RADDES)

1.23%

-

People’s Party (PP)

1.13%

-

Rally for the People of Burundi (RPB)

0.66%

-

Independents

0.03%

-

*The percentage of votes received by political parties does not add up to 100%, most likely (but unconfirmed) due to inclusion of the percentage of invalid/blank votes cast in the final results.
 
28 February 2005 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Power sharing between the two main ethnic groups, Government Institutions would be 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi, except for the National Defense Forces and Senate where the ratio is to be 50%-50%.

Registered Voters

3,132,494

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,894,372 (92.4%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     60,285

Total Valid Votes

2,834,087

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

2,607,852

92.02%

"No" Votes

226,235

07.98%

 
04 July 2005 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

3,167,124

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,446,001 (77.2%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     24,575

Total Valid Votes

2,421,426

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats 100 (118)*

National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD)

1,417,800

58.55%

59 (64)

Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU)

525,336

21.70%

25 (30)

Union for National Progress (UPRONA)

174,575

7.21%

10 (15)

National Council for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD)

100,366

4.14%

04 (04)

Movement for the Rehabilitation of Citizens-Rurenzangemero     (MRC-Rurenzangemero)

51,730

2.14%

02 (02)

Party for National Recovery (PARENA)

42,223

1.74%

-  ( - )

Independents & Others

109,396

4.51%

-  ( - )

Seats reserved for ethnic Twa members

-

-

-  (03)

*100 seats were filled based on the election results; The remaining 18 seats were allocated based on the constitutional requirement that 60% of seats are filled by ethnic Hutus, 40% by ethnic Tutsis, 30% by Women, and 3 by ethnic Twa. Figures in parentheses reflect the distribution of seats after these requirements were met.