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
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 daysHutu 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 daysHutu 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, 142 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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Burundi</span>

The 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.

The BurundiNational Defence Force is the state military organisation responsible for the defence of Burundi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Burundi</span>

Burundi originated in the 16th century as a small kingdom in the African Great Lakes region. After European contact, it was united with the Kingdom of Rwanda, becoming the colony of Ruanda-Urundi - first colonised by Germany and then by Belgium. The colony gained independence in 1962, and split once again into Rwanda and Burundi. It is one of the few countries in Africa to be a direct territorial continuation of a pre-colonial era African state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Burundi</span> Head of state of Burundi

The president of Burundi, officially the President of the Republic, 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. The first constitution to specify the powers and duties of the president was the constitution of 1974 adopted in 1976. The constitution, written by Micombero, affirmed Micombero's position as the first president of Burundi. The powers of the president currently derive from the 2005 constitution implemented as a result of the 2000 Arusha Accords after the Burundian Civil War. The current president since 18 June 2020 is Évariste Ndayishimiye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Buyoya</span> President of Burundi, 1987–1993 and 1996–2003

Pierre Buyoya was a Burundian army officer and politician who served two terms as President of Burundi in 1987 to 1993 and 1996 to 2003. He was the second-longest-serving president in Burundian history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Baptiste Bagaza</span> President of Burundi from 1976 to 1987

Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was a Burundian army officer and politician who ruled Burundi as president and de facto military dictator from November 1976 to September 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burundian Civil War</span> Inter-ethnic conflict within Burundi from 1993 to 2005

The Burundian Civil War was a civil war in Burundi lasting from 1993 to 2005. The civil war was the result of longstanding ethnic divisions between the Hutu and the Tutsi ethnic groups. The conflict began following the first multi-party elections in the country since its independence from Belgium in 1962, and is seen as formally ending with the swearing-in of President Pierre Nkurunziza in August 2005. Children were widely used by both sides in the war. The estimated death toll stands at 300,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvie Kinigi</span> Burundian politician and economist

Sylvie Kinigi is a Burundian politician and economist who served as prime minister of Burundi from 10 July 1993 to 7 February 1994, and acting president from November 1993 to 5 February 1994, making her the second African woman to serve as a president.

Antoine Nduwayo was the Prime Minister of Burundi from 22 February 1995, until 31 July 1996. Nduwayo is an ethnic Tutsi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Nkurunziza</span> President of Burundi from 2005 to 2020

Pierre Nkurunziza was a Burundian politician who served as the ninth president of Burundi for almost 15 years from August 2005 until his death in June 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senate (Burundi)</span>

The Senate is the upper chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of between 39 and 56 members who serve 5-year terms. The current Senate was elected on 20 July 2020 and consists of 39 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vice-President of Burundi</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burundi</span> Country in East Africa

Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with population of over 14 million people. It is bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and southeast, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Lake Tanganyika lies along its southwestern border. The capital city is Gitega and the largest city is Bujumbura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burundian unrest (2015–2018)</span> Period of unrest in Burundi

On 25 April 2015, the ruling political party in Burundi, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), announced that the incumbent President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, would run for a third term in the 2015 presidential election. The announcement sparked protests by those opposed to Nkurunziza seeking a third term in office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Burundian coup d'état</span> Coup détat in Burundi

The 1976 Burundian coup d'état was a bloodless military coup that took place in Burundi on 1 November 1976. An Army faction, led by Deputy Chief of Staff Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, ousted President Michel Micombero. Bagaza formed the 30-member Supreme Revolutionary Council to take control, suspended the country's constitution and was inaugurated as president on 10 November 1976.

The Constitutional Court is the supreme authority on Burundi's constitutional law. The Constitutional Court deals with the interpretation of the Constitution of 2005 and is considered the country's second highest court. In conjunction with the Burundian Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court can sit en banc as a High Court of Justice with special prerogatives, such as the power to try an incumbent president. It sits at Bujumbura and its incumbent president is Charles Ndagijimana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Burundian coup attempt</span> 1993 coup attempt in Burundi

On 21 October 1993, a coup was attempted in Burundi by a Tutsi–dominated army faction. The coup attempt resulted in assassination of Hutu President Melchior Ndadaye and the deaths of other officials in the constitutional line of presidential succession. François Ngeze was presented as the new President of Burundi by the army, but the coup failed under domestic and international pressure, leaving Prime Minister Sylvie Kinigi in charge of the government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Évariste Ndayishimiye</span> President of Burundi since 2020

General Évariste Ndayishimiye is a Burundian politician who has served as the tenth President of Burundi since 18 June 2020. He became involved in the rebel National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy during the Burundian Civil War and rose up the ranks of its militia. At the end of the conflict, he entered the Burundian Army and held a number of political offices under the auspices of President Pierre Nkurunziza. Nkurunziza endorsed Ndayishimiye as his successor ahead of the 2020 elections which he won with a large majority.


Aimée Laurentine Kanyana is a magistrate and politician in Burundi.

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.