At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Burundi

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE
• Head of Government: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE
• Assembly: Burundi has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate with 34 seats and the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 140 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Senate 34 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms*. In the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) 100 members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms.**

* Additional seats are appointed to three ethnic Twas and to former chiefs of state; the minimum 30% women representation rule applies as well in the Senate.

** Additional seats may be appointed by the National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure balance of ethnic representation. The Constitution mandated a 60-40% split between Hutus and Tutsis, respectively, and a minimum 30% representation of women.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Pierre NKURUNZIZA*
  • Party: National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy / (CNDD-FDD)

* Pierre NKURUNZIZA was the sole candidate after his party obtained a decisive victory in both legislative and senatorial elections.

Note: the vote figures above are taken from the members of the Senate and National Assembly who voted in the election. It is not indicative of all registered voters in Burundi.

Last Presidential election:

• The last presidential election was held on June 1, 1993. Melchior NDADAYE won with 65% of vote, followed by Pierre BUYOYA with 32%. President Domitien NDAYIZEYE assumed power on 30 April 2003 as part of the transitional government established by the 2000 Arusha Accord.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 6,231,221 ( 2004 est.)
• Registered Voters: 3,167,124 ( 2005 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 4,014,185 (2005)

·         Is Burundi a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Burundi ratified CEDAW: Yes (8 January 1992)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 36 (following 2005 parliamentary elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 184 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Burundi a signatory to CRPD: Yes (26 April 2007)

·         Has Burundi ratified CRPD: Yes (22 May 2014)

·         Population with a disability: 1,190,131 (est.)