2015 Burundian parliamentary election

none Burundi 2010 2015 06 29 yes 2020 yes National Assembly 100 of the 121 seats in the National Assembly 61 Pierre Nkurunziza National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy 81 74.84 86 C. Nditije & A. Rwasa IE New 13.85 30 Bonaventure Niyoyankana Union for National Progress 17 3.09 2 yes Senate 36 of the 43 seats in the Senate 22 yes Pierre Nkurunziza National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy 32 33 Bonaventure Niyoyankana Union for National Progress 2 2 Agathon Rwasa FNL 0 1 Parliamentary elections were held in Burundi on 29 June 2015. The vote had been initially set for 5 June 2015, alongside local elections, but it was delayed due to unrest.Clement Manirabarusha, "Burundi says has delayed elections amid prolonged protests", Reuters, 3 June 2015. Indirect elections to the Senate occurred on 24 July.Burundi / Sénatoriales 2015 : Le nouveau Sénat 2015 – 2020 https://burundi-agnews.org/le-politique/politique/?p=19691 Burundi AGnews 25 July 2015 9 August 2015 Background 2015 Burundian unrest In the previous legislative elections in 2010 the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy won a large majority. The election was boycotted by most opposition parties following claims of fraud in the local elections held on 24 May. This left the opposition Union for National Progress and Front for Democracy in Burundi–Nyakuri (which were supportive of the ruling party) the only other parties to win seats.Samia Mahgoub A Review of Burundi's Legislative Elections http://www.ifes.org/Content/Publications/Opinions/2010/July/A-Review-of-Burundis-Legislative-Elections.aspx IFES 2 June 2015 29 July 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150610113117/http://www.ifes.org/Content/Publications/Opinions/2010/July/A-Review-of-Burundis-Legislative-Elections.aspx 10 June 2015Burundi: Violence, Rights Violations Mar Elections https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/07/01/burundi-violence-rights-violations-mar-elections HRW 2 June 2015 1 July 2010 The announcement by the ruling party that the incumbent President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, would run for a third term in the presidential election, which was planned to be held on 26 June, sparked protest by those who were opposed to Nkurunziza seeking a third term in office.https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/04/27/burundi-crackdown-protesters Burundi: Crackdown on Protesters - Human Rights Watch hrw.org Critics of the president say his actions jeopardise a peace deal that has kept ethnic tensions in check since the Burundian Civil War ended in 2005https://www.reuters.com/article/us-burundi-politics-idUSKBN0NL15120150430 U.S. tells Burundi's president his country risks boiling over 30 Apr 2015 Reuters and that Nkurunziza is not constitutionally permitted to seek a third term in office; his supporters argue that his first five-year term should not count because he was elected by a parliamentary vote rather than a popular vote.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-burundi-politics-protests-idUSKBN0NN07I20150502 Burundi protest organizers call halt to demonstrations for two days: civil society leader Reuters 2 May 2015 Widespread demonstrations in the capital, Bujumbura, lasted for over three weeks. During that time the country's highest court approved Nkurunziza's right to run for a third term in officehttps://www.iwacu-burundi.org/la-cour-constitutionnelle-se-prononce-pour-une-nouvelle-candidature-de-pierre-nkurunziza/ Urgent – La cour constitutionnelle se prononce pour une nouvelle candidature de Pierre Nkurunziza iwacu-burundi.org despite the fact that at least one of court's judges fled the country claiming he had received death threats from members of the government.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/05/senior-burundi-judge-flees-rather-than-approve-presidents-candidacy Senior Burundi judge flees rather than approve president's candidacy 5 May 2015 The Guardian As a result of the protests the government also shut down the country's internet and telephone network, closed all of the country's universities and government officials publicly referred to the protesters as "terrorists".https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32566213 Burundi calls opposition protesters 'terrorists' 2 May 2015 BBC Since late April tens of thousands of people have fled the country, hundreds of people have been arrested and several protesters and police have been killed while dozens more have been injured. On 13 May a coup was announced, led by Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare, while President Nkurunziza was in Tanzania attending an emergency conference about the situation in the country."Army general in Burundi says president is ousted", Associated Press, 13 May 2015. By the next day the coup collapsed and government forces reasserted control. The elections were originally planned to be held 26 May,Burundi publishes 2015 election agenda http://en.starafrica.com/news/burundi-publishes-2015-election-agenda.html 2 June 2015 StarAfrica 19 July 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150626120627/http://en.starafrica.com/news/burundi-publishes-2015-election-agenda.html 26 June 2015 but as a result of the unrest, the election was postponed to 5 June.Manirabarusha Clement Burundi protesters on streets after African leaders seek poll delay https://www.reuters.com/article/us-burundi-politics-idUSKBN0OI1FK20150602 3 June 2015 Reuters 2 June 2015 The East African Community together with South African President Jacob Zuma called on the government to delay the elections. The opposition has also called for a delay, and stated they would boycott the elections on 5 June. The European Union and the Catholic Church of Burundi pulled out of observing the elections, stating that the vote could not be held fairly because of unrest and a crackdown of the media. The head of the electoral commission, Pierre-Claver Ndayicariye (also President of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission)Burundi's Truth and Reconciliation commission presents new findings Africanews 20 March 2021 https://www.africanews.com/2021/03/20/burindi-s-truth-and-reconcilliation-commission-presents-new-findings/ 12 October 2021 announced on 3 June that the parliamentary and local elections would not take place as planned on 5 June and were being delayed to an unspecified date. On 8 June 2015, the electoral commission proposed that the parliamentary election take place on 26 June.Clement Manirabarusha, "Burundi's electoral commission proposes dates for delayed vote", Reuters, 8 June 2015. The date was later set as 29 June 2015."Burundi goes to the polls despite protests", AFP, 26 June 2015. Electoral system The National Assembly has 100 directly-elected members, who are elected in 18 multi-member constituencies (equal to the provinces) using the closed list proportional representation system, with seat allocation decided by the d'Hondt method with a national 2% electoral threshold.Electoral system IPU A further three members of the Twa ethnic group are appointed, and more members are co-opted to ensure a 60-40 split between Hutus and Tutsis, and a 30% quota for female MPs.Elections held in 2005 IPU The Senate is elected by colleges of local councillors, with three Twa members appointed and more members co-opted to ensure a 50-50 split between Hutus and Tutsis and a 30% quota for female Senators. Campaign Sixteen lists of parties, coalitions and independents contested the elections.Definitive list of Deputy candidates: Elections 2015 CENI Seventeen opposition parties announced on 26 June that they would boycott both the parliamentary election and the subsequent presidential election.Clement Manirabarusha, "Burundi crisis escalates as opposition boycotts elections", Reuters, 26 June 2015. Conduct The African Union announced on 28 June that its election observers would not observe the parliamentary election scheduled for the next day, saying that the "necessary conditions" for "free, fair, transparent and credible elections" did not exist.Clement Manirabarusha, "African Union says Burundi election not free or fair, speaker flees", Reuters, 28 June 2015. United Nations observers stated that the elections were not "free, inclusive or credible" due to "a climate of widespread fear and intimidation in parts of the country".UN declares Burundi elections not free or credible amid tense standoff The Guardian, 3 July 2015 Results National Assembly Provisional results announced on 7 July 2015 showed the CNDD–FDD obtaining 77 of the 100 contested seats; the opposition coalition, which had called for a boycott, was credited with 21 seats, and UPRONA obtained two seats. Turnout was placed at 74.32%."Burundi's ruling party wins legislative poll" https://web.archive.org/web/20150708095052/http://www.globalpost.com/article/6607493/2015/07/07/burundis-ruling-party-wins-legislative-poll July 8, 2015 , Xinhua, 7 July 2015. The opposition coalition remained on the ballot papers despite boycotting and vowing that it would not participate in the next National Assembly.Clement Manirabarusha, "Burundi considers response after African nations seek vote delay", Reuters, 7 July 2015. In the event that the elected deputies from the opposition do not take up their seats, according to the electoral law those seats would be reassigned to parties that received more than 5% of the vote. File:Burundi National Assembly Chart 2015-2020.svg Elected Co-opted Total +/– CNDD–FDD 1721629 77 9 86 +5 Independents of Hope 318717 21 9 30 New Union for National Progress 71189 2 0 2 –15 Front for Democracy in Burundi–Nyakuri 55000 0 0 0 –5 ADC–Ikibiri 42544 0 0 0 New National Forces of Liberation 35532 0 0 0 New Movement for Solidarity and Democracy 20275 0 0 0 New National Rally for Reform 9827 0 0 0 New Coalition for Peace in Africa 8893 0 0 0 New MRC–Rurenzangemero 8353 0 0 0 New Union for Peace and Democracy 6040 0 0 0 New Party for the Liberation of the Burundian People – Agakiza 910 0 0 0 New Social Democratic Party – Dusabikanye 660 0 0 0 New Party for Democracy and Reconciliation 459 0 0 0 New Isidore Rufyikiri List 416 0 0 0 New RDB 19 0 0 0 New Co-opted Twa members – 3 3 0 100 21 121 +15 555649 3843024 CENI Senate The Senate was elected on 24 July by an electoral college composed of local councillors. The chamber gained two members as a result of the creation of Rumonge Province.http://www.assemblee.bi/Rumonge-desormais-la-18eme Rumonge désormais la 18ème province de la République du Burundi National Assembly of Burundi 15 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150923175441/http://www.assemblee.bi/Rumonge-desormais-la-18eme 23 September 2015 dead File:Burundi Senate Chart 2015-2020.svg Elected Co-opted Total +/– CNDD–FDD 33 0 33 +1 Union for National Progress 2 0 2 0 National Forces of Liberation 1 0 1 +1 Co-opted Twa members – 3 3 0 Former presidents – 4 4 0 36 7 43 +2 IPU Aftermath The National Assembly began meeting for its new term on 27 July 2015. Members of Amizero y'Abarundi, the opposition coalition, were divided on whether to take up their parliamentary seats. The main opposition leader, Agathon Rwasa, said that 20 deputies from his party, the National Forces of Liberation (FNL), would take up their seats, but Charles Nditije of the Union for National Progress (UPRONA) said that the 10 UPRONA deputies would not. Nditije said that it would be "impossible to take seats" considering that they had boycotted the election."Burundi parliament opens after disputed poll, opposition takes seats", Reuters, 27 July 2015. On 30 July 2015, Pascal Nyabenda, the President of the CNDD-FDD, was elected as President of the National Assembly. Agathon Rwasa was elected as First Vice-President and Edouard Nduwimana, who had been Minister of the Interior, as Second Vice-President.Ole Tangen Jr., "Burundi opposition leader wins top position in National Assembly", Deutsche Welle, 30 July 2015."Burundi: Agathon Rwasa devient vice-président de l’Assemblée nationale", Radio France Internationale, 30 July 2015 fr. There were no opposing candidates for any of the three positions. Nyabenda received 101 votes and Rwasa, with the backing of CNDD-FDD deputies, received 108 out of 112 votes. By accepting a top post in the legislature and appearing to adopt a conciliatory approach to the government, Rwasa infuriated some in the opposition, who viewed his actions as betrayal. Révérien Ndikuriyo, a CNDD-FDD Senator, was elected as President of the Senate on 14 August 2015. He was the only candidate for the post and was unanimously elected. Spès Caritas Njebarikanuye, a CNDD-FDD Senator, was elected as First Vice-President of the Senate, and Anicet Niyongabo, a UPRONA Senator, was elected as Second Vice-President."Election du nouveau bureau du Sénat", Senate of Burundi website, 14 August 2015 fr. References Category:Parliamentary elections in Burundi Burundi Parliamentary