Burundi’s ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, has won all 100 contested seats in the country’s recent parliamentary election, according to provisional results announced by the electoral commission.
Electoral commission chairperson Prosper Ntahorwamiye stated that the CNDD-FDD secured more than 96% of the votes across all provinces. He described the vote as having experienced only “some minor irregularities,” which he claimed had been resolved.
The opposition parties fared poorly. The former ruling party, UPRONA, finished a distant second with just over 1% of the vote. Its leader, Olivier Nkurunziza, condemned the election as fraudulent, telling AFP: “We have killed democracy.” The National Congress for Liberty (CNL), the main opposition group, received just 0.6% of the vote, placing third.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the outcome, stating that the results highlight how democracy has been “hollowed out” in Burundi. The organization accused the CNDD-FDD, which has held power since 2005, of seeking to eliminate all meaningful opposition, particularly targeting the CNL.
HRW also reported restrictions on freedom of expression in the lead-up to the vote, alongside intimidation and harassment of opposition supporters. Election observers from the Catholic Church were reportedly barred from accessing some polling stations.
In contrast, the African Union praised the polls, describing them as having been conducted in a “climate of freedom and transparency” and labeling them “peaceful” — a stance that has drawn criticism from rights groups and political analysts.
Despite the sweeping victory, the mood in the capital, Bujumbura, remained subdued following the announcement of results on Wednesday.
Under the Arusha Accords that ended Burundi’s civil war over two decades ago, the ethnic composition of parliament must reflect the country’s demographics, including Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa communities. To address imbalances identified after this month’s vote, the electoral commission has announced the addition of 11 new seats, bringing the total number of MPs to 111.
The final results are expected to be certified by the Constitutional Court by 20 June.
