List of presidents of Burundi

The president of Burundi is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Burundi. The president is also commander-in-chief of the National Defence Force. The office of the presidency was established when Michel Micombero declared Burundi a republic on 28 November 1966.^[3] The first constitution to specify the powers and duties of the president was the constitution of 1974, which was adopted in 1976.^[4] Written by Micombero, the constitution affirmed his position as the first president of Burundi.^[2] The powers of the president derive from the latest constitution, implemented in 2005 as a result of the 2000 Arusha Accords after the Burundian Civil War.^[4]

President of Burundi
Abakuru W'igihugu ca Uburundi (Kirundi) Président du Burundi (French) Rais wa Jamhuri ya Burundi (Swahili)
Coat of arms of Burundi
Incumbent Évariste Ndayishimiye since 18 June 2020
Style	Mr President (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Type	Head of state Executive president
Seat	Bujumbura
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	7 years,[1] renewable once[2]
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Burundi (2005)
Formation	28 November 1966; 58 years ago (1966-11-28)
First holder	Michel Micombero
Deputy	Vice-President of Burundi
Website	Official Website

The president's stated role is to represent Burundi's national unity and ensure that the laws and functions of the state are created and executed with full compliance of the constitution. The president has the power to appoint military commanders, ambassadors, magistrates and provincial governors. The president also appoints all judges, including those of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. The president can organize government and can call for parliamentary sessions under extraordinary circumstances. In addition to promulgating legislation, the president has the power to propose and amend laws, and can veto laws passed by the parliament. A presidential term is seven years,^[1] and presidents can serve a maximum of two terms.^[5][a] The president is entitled to a pension after the end of their final term of office.^[2]

Nine people have served in the office since Burundi became a republic. Only one president, Pierre Buyoya, has served on two non-consecutive occasions.^[7] Sylvie Kinigi was the first and only woman who has served in the role (on an interim basis).^[8] The current president, Évariste Ndayishimiye, has been serving in the role since 18 June 2020.

List of officeholders

Political parties

  Union for National Progress (UPRONA)

  Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU)

  National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD)

Status

‡ Denotes acting president

Symbols

^† Died in office

List of presidents of Burundi^[9]

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Ethnic group	Political party	Prime minister(s)	Ref.
					Took office	Left office	Time in office
1			Michel Micombero (1940–1983)	—	28 November 1966	1 November 1976 (Deposed in coup)	9 years, 339 days	Tutsi	UPRONA / Military	Nyamoya	[10]
2			Jean-Baptiste Bagaza (1946–2016) [b]	1984	1 November 1976	3 September 1987 (Deposed in coup)	10 years, 306 days	Tutsi	UPRONA / Military	Nzambimana	[11]
3			Pierre Buyoya (1949–2020) [c]	—	3 September 1987	10 July 1993	5 years, 310 days	Tutsi	UPRONA / Military	Sibomana	[12]
4			Melchior Ndadaye (1953–1993)	1993	10 July 1993	21 October 1993 (Assassinated)	103 days	Hutu	FRODEBU	Kinigi	[13]
—			François Ngeze‡ (born 1953) [d]	—	21 October 1993	27 October 1993	6 days	Hutu	UPRONA / Military	—	[13]
—			Sylvie Kinigi‡ (born 1953) [e][f]	—	27 October 1993[g]	5 February 1994	101 days	Tutsi	UPRONA	Herself	[15]
5			Cyprien Ntaryamira (1955–1994)	1994	5 February 1994	6 April 1994 (Assassinated)	60 days	Hutu	FRODEBU	Kinigi Kanyenkiko	[16]
6			Sylvestre Ntibantunganya (born 1956)	—	6 April 1994‡	1 October 1994	2 years, 110 days	Hutu	FRODEBU	Kanyenkiko Nduwayo	[13]
				1994	1 October 1994	25 July 1996 (Deposed in coup)
(3)			Pierre Buyoya (1949–2020)	—	25 July 1996‡	11 June 1998	6 years, 279 days	Tutsi	UPRONA	Ndimira	[12]
					11 June 1998	30 April 2003				Position abolished
7			Domitien Ndayizeye (born 1951)	—	30 April 2003	26 August 2005	2 years, 118 days	Hutu	FRODEBU		[17]
8			Pierre Nkurunziza (1964–2020)	2005 2010 2015	26 August 2005	8 June 2020[†]	14 years, 287 days	Hutu	CNDD–FDD		[18][19]
Vacant (8 June 2020 – 18 June 2020)
9			Évariste Ndayishimiye (born 1968)	2020	18 June 2020	Incumbent	4 years, 332 days	Hutu	CNDD–FDD	Position abolished (until 23 June 2020) Bunyoni Ndirakobuca	[20]

Timeline

See also

• Burundi portal

• Politics of Burundi
• List of kings of Burundi
• Vice President of Burundi
• Prime Minister of Burundi
• List of colonial governors of Ruanda-Urundi
  • List of colonial residents of Burundi

Notes

1. Pierre Nkurunziza was elected for a third term, as the Constitutional Court considered that his first, indirectly elected term, did not count towards the limit.^[6]
2. Styled as Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council until 10 November 1976.
3. Styled as Chairman of the Military Committee of National Salvation until 9 September 1987.
4. Styled as Chairman of the Committee of Public Salvation; in rebellion.
5. On 21 October 1993 President Ndadaye and several other officials were killed by Tutsi soldiers in a coup attempt, leaving Prime Minister Kinigi the highest-ranking official alive and the de facto head of state of Burundi. Kinigi joined her surviving ministers in the French embassy until she could return to her residence under French military guard as the coup failed.
6. On 8 November 1993 the Constitutional Court ruled that "the government acting collegially" assumed the responsibilities of the interim presidency until a new president could be elected.^[14]
7. De facto President from 21 October 1993.