At stake in this election:

• 100 seats in the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)

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 54 seats and the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 100 seats.

* Article 186 of the Constitution adopted on February 28 provides for an exception to this rule in the post-transition period when the president is elected by two-thirds majority in the parliament.

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 parties in the electoral race:

• Party: National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy / (CNDD-FDD)
  • Leader: Pierre NKURUNZIZA
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 59
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: N/A
• Party: Burundi Democratic Front / (FRODEBU)
  • Leader: Jean MINANI
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 25
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: 65
• Party: Unity for National Progress / (UPRONA))
  • Leader: Jean-Baptiste MANWANGARI
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 10
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: 16
• Party: National Council for the Defense of Democracy / (CNDD)
  • Leader: Leonard NYANGOMA
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 4
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: N/A
• Coalition: National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen / MRC-Rurenzangemero
  • Leader: Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 2
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: N/A
• Party: Others
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 0
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: N/A

Last Legislative election:

• The last parliamentary election was held on June 29, 1993. The next was scheduled to be held in 1998, but was suspended by presidential decree in 1996.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 6,370,609 (July 2005 est.)
• Registered Voters: 3,167,124 (July 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: Yes

·         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.)