Burundi: Electoral System

Updated March 2005

Legal basis	The Transitional Constitution and the Post-transitional constitution[1]. Electoral Code[2]. Communal Act
Electoral system	Parliamentary Elections: proportionality, multiparty elections, closed lists. 30 % of seats allocated to women; 60 % Hutu, 40 % Tutsi; 3 Twa members co-opted. Presidential Elections: popular vote, absolute majority required.
Election period	Presidential elections and Parliamentary elections every 5 years.
Electoral institutions	National Independent Electoral Commission. The commission's chairman is Paul Ngarambe, a lecturer at the public University of Burundi and an official at UNESCO's office in Burundi. The vice-chairman of the commission is Léonard Nduwayo, who has been president of the National Olympic Committee. The secretary of the commission is Clotilde Niragira. Libérate Kiburago is from the central province of Muramvya. Abbot Astère Kana is a Roman Catholic priest.

Footnotes

[1] ACTE CONSTITUTIONNEL DE TRANSITION 1998, [www] http://droit.francophonie.org/df-web/publication.do?publicationId=4266 EN FRANÇAIS [opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007); PROJET DE LA NOUVELLE CONSTITUTION POST-TRANSITION DE LA REPUBLIQUE DU BURUNDI [www] http://www.iss.org.za/AF/profiles/burundi/constsep04fr.pdf EN FRANÇAIS [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007). The Post-Transition Constitution was approved by a national referendum on February 28, 2005 by 90% of voters.
[2] LOI PORTANT CODE ELECTORAL 2005, Loi N° 1/015 du avril 20, [www] http://www.iss.org.za/AF/profiles/burundi/electoral.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 22 Oct 2007).