List of presidents of Burundi

Last updated

President of Burundi
Abakuru W'igihugu ca Uburundi (Kirundi)
Président du Burundi (French)
Rais wa Jamhuri ya Burundi (Swahili)
Coat of arms of Burundi.svg
Coat of arms of Burundi
Evariste Ndayishimiye (cropped).jpg
since 18 June 2020
Term length 7 years, [1] limited to two terms. [2]
Inaugural holder Michel Micombero
Formation28 November 1966
Deputy Vice-President of Burundi
Website Official Website

The president of Burundi is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Burundi. The president is also commander-in-chief of the National Defence Force. The office of the presidency was established when Michel Micombero declared Burundi a republic on 28 November 1966. [3] The first constitution to specify the powers and duties of the president was the constitution of 1974, which was adopted in 1976. [4] Written by Micombero, the constitution affirmed his position as the first president of Burundi. [2] The powers of the president derive from the latest constitution, implemented in 2005 as a result of the 2000 Arusha Accords after the Burundian Civil War. [4]

Contents

The president's stated role is to represent Burundi's national unity and ensure that the laws and functions of the state are created and executed with full compliance of the constitution. The president has the power to appoint military commanders, ambassadors, magistrates and provincial governors. The president also appoints all judges, including those of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. The president can organize government and can call for parliamentary sessions under extraordinary circumstances. In addition to promulgating legislation, the president has the power to propose and amend laws, and can veto laws passed by the parliament. A presidential term is seven years, [1] and presidents can serve a maximum of two terms. [5] [a] The president is entitled to a pension after the end of their final term of office. [2]

Nine people have served in the office since Burundi became a republic. Only one president, Pierre Buyoya, has served on two non-consecutive occasions. [7] Sylvie Kinigi was the first and only woman who has served in the role (on an interim basis). [8] The current president, Évariste Ndayishimiye, has been serving in the role since 18 June 2020.

List of officeholders

Political parties
   Union for National Progress (UPRONA)
   Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU)
   National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD)
Status
  Denotes acting president
Symbols

† Died in office

List of presidents of Burundi [9]
No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)		ElectedTerm of office Ethnic group Political party Prime minister(s) Ref.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 Prime Minister Micombero in 1966.png Michel Micombero
(1940–1983)		—28 November 19661 November 1976
(Deposed in coup)		9 years, 339 days Tutsi UPRONA /
Military 		Nyamoya [10]
2 Jean Baptiste Bagaza - 1978.tiff Jean-Baptiste Bagaza
(1946–2016)
[b] 		1984 1 November 19763 September 1987
(Deposed in coup)		10 years, 306 daysTutsi UPRONA /
Military 		Nzambimana [11]
3 Pierre Buyoya 1990 cropped.jpg Pierre Buyoya
(1949–2020)
[c] 		—3 September 198710 July 19935 years, 310 daysTutsi UPRONA /
Military 		Sibomana [12]
4 Melchior Ndadaye (cropped).png Melchior Ndadaye
(1953–1993)		 1993 10 July 199321 October 1993
(Assassinated)		103 days Hutu FRODEBU Kinigi [13]
— No image.png François Ngeze
(born 1953)
[d] 		—21 October 199327 October 19936 daysHutu UPRONA /
Military 		— [13]
— Sylvie Kinigi at Bujumbura airport, 1993.jpg Sylvie Kinigi
(born 1953)
[e] 		—27 October 19935 February 1994101 daysTutsi UPRONA Herself [15]
5 Cyprien Ntaryamira at a FRODEBU rally (cropped).jpg Cyprien Ntaryamira
(1955–1994)		19945 February 19946 April 1994
(Assassinated)		60 daysHutu FRODEBU Kinigi
Kanyenkiko 		[16]
6 Visit of Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, President of Burundi, to the EC (cropped).jpg Sylvestre Ntibantunganya
(born 1956)		—6 April 19941 October 19942 years, 110 daysHutu FRODEBU Kanyenkiko
Nduwayo 		[13]
19941 October 199425 July 1996
(Deposed in coup)
(3) Pierre Buyoya at Chatham House 2013 crop.jpg Pierre Buyoya
(1949–2020)		—25 July 199611 June 19986 years, 279 daysTutsi UPRONA Ndimira [12]
11 June 199830 April 2003Position abolished
7 Domitien Ndayizeye, President of Burundi (2) (cropped).jpg Domitien Ndayizeye
(born 1951)		—30 April 200326 August 20052 years, 118 daysHutu FRODEBU [17]
8 President Nkurunziza of Burundi (6920275109) (cropped).jpg Pierre Nkurunziza
(1964–2020)		 2005
2010
2015 		26 August 20058 June 2020 [†] 14 years, 287 daysHutu CNDD–FDD [18] [19]
9 Evariste Ndayishimiye (cropped).jpg Évariste Ndayishimiye
(born 1968)		 2020 18 June 2020Incumbent4 years, 167 daysHutu CNDD–FDD Bunyoni
Ndirakobuca 		[20]

Timeline

Évariste NdayishimiyePierre NkurunzizaDomitien NdayizeyeSylvestre NtibantunganyaCyprien NtaryamiraSylvie KinigiFrançois NgezeMelchior NdadayePierre BuyoyaJean-Baptiste BagazaMichel MicomberoList of presidents of Burundi

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Pierre Nkurunziza was elected for a third term, as the Constitutional Court considered that his first, indirectly elected term, did not count towards the limit. [6]
  2. ↑ Styled as Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council until 10 November 1976.
  3. ↑ Styled as Chairman of the Military Committee of National Salvation until 9 September 1987.
  4. ↑ Styled as Chairman of the Committee of Public Salvation; in rebellion.
  5. ↑ On 8 November 1993 the Constitutional Court ruled that "the government acting collegially" assumed the responsibilities of the interim presidency until a new president could be elected. [14]

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References

  1. 1 2 Moore, Jina (18 May 2018). "Burundi Voters Back Constitution Extending Presidential Term" . The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Burundi's Constitution of 2005" (PDF). Comparative Constitutions Project. 2005. pp. 17, 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "Michel Micombero, 43, dies; Former president of Burundi" . The New York Times . UPI. 18 July 1983. Section B., p. 5. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  4. 1 2 Manirakiza, Pacifique. "The 2005 Constitution of Burundi" (PDF). University of Ottawa. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  5. ↑ Vandeginste, Stef (2016). "Legal Loopholes and the Politics of Executive Term Limits: Insights from Burundi". Africa Spectrum . 51 (2): 39–63. doi:10.1177/000203971605100203. hdl: 10067/1355460151162165141 . Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "Burundi court 'forced' to validate leader's third term". Al Jazeera Media Network. 14 May 2015. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "Biographie de Pierre Buyoya" [Biography of Pierre Buyoya]. Le Monde (in French). 18 April 2001. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  8. ↑ "Meet the women who became presidents in Africa". Africa Feeds Media Limited. 20 March 2021. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2024. Kinigi ... served as Prime Minister of Burundi... She also served as acting President ... the first and to date only woman to hold these positions in Burundi.
  9. ↑ Tom Lansford, ed. (31 May 2021). Political Handbook of the World 2020-2021. CQ Press. pp. 240–242. ISBN   9781544384733.
  10. ↑ "Necrológicas - Michel Micombero, ex presidente de Burundi" [Obituary - Michel Micombero, former president of Burundi]. El País (in Spanish). 18 July 1983. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  11. ↑ Emily Langer (5 May 2016). "Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, ousted Burundian president, dies at 69" . The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Pierre Buyoya, Burundian president who led two coups, dies at 71" . The Washington Post . 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 "Burundi profile - Timeline". British Broadcasting Corporation. 4 November 2022. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  14. ↑ La Cour constitutionnelle de la République du Burundi siegeant en matiere de constatation de la vacance du poste de Président de la République a rendu l'arret suivant [Constitutional Court of the Republic of Burundi sitting on the matter of establishing the vacancy of the post of President of the Republic has rendered the following judgment] (in French), Constitutional Court of Burundi, 8 November 1993, archived from the original on 7 March 2022, retrieved 22 September 2021– via Great Lakes of Africa Centre
  15. ↑ Farida Jalalzai (2004). "Women Political Leaders - Past and Present". Women & Politics . 26 (3–4): 85–108. doi:10.1300/J014v26n03_04. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  16. ↑ Anver Versi (7 April 1994). "Obituary: Cyprien Ntaryamira". The Independent . Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024. President of Burundi 1994; ... died Kigali, Rwanda 6 April 1994
  17. ↑ "Burundi's former leader arrested". British Broadcasting Corporation. 21 August 2006. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  18. ↑ "Outgoing Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza dies". National Post . Reuters. 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  19. ↑ Hamza Mohamed (10 June 2020). "Obituary: Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  20. ↑ "Burundi: la Cour constitutionnelle ordonne l'intronisation du président élu" [Burundi: the Constitutional Court orders the inauguration of the elected president] (in French). Radio France Internationale. 12 June 2020. Archived from the original on 24 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
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