Burundi

National Assembly Senate

National Assembly

Political system
Presidential system
Structure of parliament
Bicameral
IPU membership
Yes
»

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s)
20 May 2020
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
No information available
Timing of election
Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections
31 May 2025
Number of seats at stake
100
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election
46

Voter turnout

Registered voters
5,113,418
Voters
4,464,359
Voter turnout
87.3%

Results

About the election

The ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) retained the majority in the 123-member National Assembly (see note), taking 72 of the 100 seats at stake. The National Congress for Liberty (CNL, the main opposition party led by Mr. Agathon Rwasa) took 27 seats. The newly elected MPs are due to be sworn in on 28 July after indirect elections to the Senate on 20 July.

In the presidential elections held in parallel with the parliamentary polls, the CNDD-FDD’s candidate, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, was elected president. The CNL said the polls were fraudulent and lodged a petition at the Constitutional Court. On 9 June, the Government announced that the outgoing President Pierre Nkurunziza, who had held the post since 2005, had passed away. On 12 June, the Constitutional Court ruled the that Mr. Ndayishimiye must be sworn in as soon as possible. He was sworn in on 18 June instead of 20 August.

The country has witnessed bouts of instability – including a coup attempt – since 2015 triggered by changes to the presidential term limit. The political crisis saw 420,000 Burundians, including several opposition figures, flee the country. No agreement between the Government and the opposition has been reached despite several inter-Burundian dialogues and international mediation efforts. Amid opposition protests, the new Constitution was adopted in a referendum held in May 2018 and promulgated by the President in June, who announced that he would not seek a further presidential term. The CNDD-FDD subsequently endorsed retired army general Ndayishimiye as its presidential candidate.

During the election campaign, the CNDD-FDD promised to revive the country’s economy. The CNL called for a “profound change in all sectors of national lifeˮ. The official election campaign, which started on 27 April 2020, was “characterized by an increase in political intolerance and numerous acts of violence and human rights violations” according to the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi established by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The government rejected observers from the United Nations and African Union, accusing them of being too close to the opposition.

Note:

In 2020, 72 Hutus and 28 Tutsis (including a total of 35 women) were directly elected. To respect the 60:40 Hutu-Tutsi balance and 30 per cent quota for women, 20 Tutsis (9 men and 11 women) were co-opted, making 46 women out of 120 members. In addition, 3 Twa representatives (including one woman) were co-opted. The newly elected National Assembly thus comprises a total of 123 members of whom 47 are women.

Number of parties winning seats
3
Percentage of parties winning seats
6.5%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
86.0%

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group Total Elected members Co-opted members
National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) 86 72 14
National Congress for Liberty (CNL) 32 27 5
Union for National Progress (UPRONA) 2 1 1
Twas 3 0 3
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
65
Number of women elected
35
Percentage of women elected
35.0%
Women Directly Elected
35
Women in other categories
12
Sources

New legislature

Total number of men after the election
76
Total number of women after the election
47
Percentage of women after the election
38.2%
First-term parliamentarians
No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
No information available
Date of the first session
04 Aug 2020

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Gélase Daniel Ndabirabe (Male)
Date of birth: 1957
Political party
National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD)
Date of election
07 Aug 2020

Historical data for IPU membership

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Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No