Burundi’s newly elected government was sworn in on Wednesday following a disputed legislative election that saw the ruling CNDD-FDD party claim a sweeping victory, securing all 100 seats in the National Assembly.
The June polls, which handed the CNDD-FDD 96% of the vote, were marred by reports of serious irregularities. Rights groups, the Catholic Church, and opposition parties have raised concerns about the credibility of the election process.
Despite the controversy, President Evariste Ndayishimiye proceeded to appoint 10 new members of his 13-member cabinet late Tuesday. All appointees are from the CNDD-FDD, which has ruled the Great Lakes nation for two decades.
The ministers took their oath of office in the capital, Bujumbura, on Wednesday. Among them is former police general Léonidas Ndaruzaniye, a close ally of the president, who was named Minister of the Interior.
In a historic move, former Commerce Minister Chantal Nijimbere became the first woman to be appointed as Burundi’s Minister of Defence. However, her appointment has sparked dissent from within the military. A senior Tutsi general, speaking anonymously, criticised the decision, saying the role traditionally rotates based on ethnic balance.
“Since the chief of general staff is Hutu, the Ministry of Defence should have gone to a Tutsi officer,” the general said. “But the CNDD-FDD has disregarded this agreement and only appoints Tutsi civilians it can control.”
Burundi’s constitution mandates ethnic quotas in government: 60% of ministers must come from the Hutu majority (which makes up roughly 85% of the population), and 40% from the Tutsi minority (approximately 14%).
President Ndayishimiye, who took office in 2020 following the sudden death of his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza, has tried to walk a tightrope between reform and control. While he has occasionally signaled a willingness to open up civic space, his administration continues to face criticism from the United Nations and rights groups over ongoing abuses and suppression of dissent.
A senior CNDD-FDD official remarked that the president had used the recent reshuffle to install loyalists. “President Ndayishimiye, who previously criticised his cabinet as being full of lazy individuals contributing to Burundi’s crisis, now has a team of his choosing,” the official said.
