Parliamentary elections were held in Burundi on 5 June 2025 to elect members of the National Assembly and communal councils. The election took place amid a deepening socio-economic crisis and was marked by the effective exclusion of the main opposition party, the National Congress for Liberty (CNL), resulting in an expected victory for the ruling CNDD-FDD party.[1][2][3]
Burundi has experienced decades of political instability, ethnic violence, and authoritarian rule. Since 2005, the CNDD-FDD has dominated Burundian politics. The 2025 election was the first parliamentary vote since President Évariste Ndayishimiye took office in 2020, succeeding Pierre Nkurunziza.[1]
The Senate is elected by colleges of local councillors, with similar ethnic and gender quotas.
Campaign
The official campaign period began in early May 2025, with thousands of candidates participating in a ceremony in Gitega, the capital.[4] Despite the festive start, the campaign was overshadowed by allegations of repression and the exclusion of the main opposition.
The CNL, which placed second in the 2020 elections, was suspended in 2023 by the Ministry of the Interior for alleged "irregularities." In late 2024, while party leader Agathon Rwasa was abroad, he was ousted from leadership in a move widely seen as orchestrated by the government. Rwasa and his allies were subsequently barred from joining other parties or standing as independents.[1][2][3]
Opposition parties also accused the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, of harassing and intimidating their supporters.[5]
Voting and turnout
Over six million voters were registered for the 2025 elections, with 14,156 polling stations established nationwide and abroad, including 53 stations for the diaspora and peacekeeping missions.[1][6] Early reports indicated high voter turnout, with long queues at polling stations despite ongoing fuel shortages and economic hardship.[1]
President Ndayishimiye cast his vote in his home village and called on elected officials to serve the nation faithfully.[1]
Results
On 11 June the electoral commission announced that the ruling CNDD-FDD had won all seats in the National Assembly with 97% of the vote, as no other party had reached the 2% threshold. Opposition parties declared the results fraudulent and said the election had been rigged.[7]
Many voters expressed hope that new leaders would address urgent issues such as fuel shortages and inflation. However, analysts and observers noted that the election took place in an environment of limited political competition and ongoing repression.[1][4]
Olivier Nkurunziza, leader of the opposition party Union for National Progress (UPRONA) said after the results were announced that "we have killed democracy," and that the party "denounces rigged elections."[7] Another senior UPRONA official criticised the African Union for certifying the election as credible.[10]
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