Vice-President of Burundi

Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi
Coat of arms of Burundi
Incumbent Gaston Sindimwo and Joseph Butore since 20 August 2015
Term length	5 years
Inaugural holder	Frédéric Bamvuginyumvira and Mathias Sinamenye
Formation	11 June 1998

The position of Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi was created in June 1998, when a transitional constitution went into effect. It replaced the post of Prime Minister.

History of the office

Interim Period (1998–2001)

Pierre Buyoya, a former President (1987–1993) who seized power in a 1996 military coup, was sworn in as President of the Republic on 11 June 1998. He appointed Frédéric Bamvuginyumvira, a Hutu member of the Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU), as 1st vice-president. Mathias Sinamenye, a Tutsi member of Buyoya's Union for National Progress (UPRONA) party, was appointed 2nd vice-president.

According to the transitional constitution, the vice-presidency consisted of two posts: The 1st vice-president (Responsible for political and administrative affairs) and the 2nd vice-president (Responsible for economic and social affairs).

Transitional Period (2001–2005)

A new transitional power-sharing government took office on 1 November 2001. Interim president Pierre Buyoya became transitional president for a period of 18 months. At the end of his term in 2003, Hutu Vice-President Domitien Ndayizeye took office and appointed a Tutsi (Alphonse-Marie Kadege) as vice-president. In November 2004, Kadege was sacked as vice-president and replaced by Frédéric Ngenzebuhoro. Although Ndayizeye's term was due to end in late 2004 following elections, the transitional period was extended and planned elections were delayed. Elections were held in mid-2005 and the transitional period is due to end on 26 August 2005, when the newly elected president takes office.

Vice-Presidency in the new Constitution

Burundi's new constitution, approved in a 28 February 2005 constitutional referendum, calls for a two-member vice-presidency (similar to that of the interim period). The 1st vice-president will be responsible for political and administrative affairs, while the 2nd vice-president will handle social and economic affairs. One vice-president will be an ethnic Hutu and the other a Tutsi. Nominees must be approved by both chambers of parliament in order to take office.

On 29 August 2005, President Pierre Nkurunziza nominated Martin Nduwimana and Alice Nzomukunda for the posts of 1st and 2nd vice-president. Both received approval from parliament and were immediately sworn in. Nzomukunda resigned on 5 September 2006. She was replaced by Marina Barampama two days later.

In February 2007, Barampama was replaced by Gabriel Ntisezerana. In November 2007, Nduwimana was replaced by Yves Sahinguvu.

In August 2010, Sahinguvu was replaced by Therence Sinunguruza and Ntisezerana was replaced by Gervais Rufyikiri.

List of Vice-Presidents of Burundi

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Colour key (for political parties)
Union for National Progress   Front for Democracy in Burundi   National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy

Vice-President				Term of office			Political party
Portrait		Name (Born–Died)	Ethnicity	Took office	Left office	Duration
		Frédéric Bamvuginyumvira (1961–) First Vice-President	Hutu	11 June 1998	1 November 2001		Front for Democracy in Burundi
		Mathias Sinamenye Second Vice-President	Tutsi				Union for National Progress
		Domitien Ndayizeye (1953–) Vice-President	Hutu	1 November 2001	30 April 2003		Front for Democracy in Burundi
		Alphonse-Marie Kadege Vice-President	Tutsi	30 April 2003	11 November 2004		Union for National Progress
		Frédéric Ngenzebuhoro Vice-President	Tutsi	11 November 2004	29 August 2005		Union for National Progress
		Martin Nduwimana (1958–) First Vice-President	Tutsi	29 August 2005	7 November 2007		Union for National Progress
		Alice Nzomukunda (1966–) Second Vice-President	Hutu		5 September 2006		National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy
		Marina Barampama (1969–) Second Vice-President	Hutu	7 September 2006	8 February 2007		National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy
	70px	Gabriel Ntisezerana Second Vice-President	Hutu	8 February 2007	August 2010	3 years, 6 months	National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy
		Yves Sahinguvu (1949–) First Vice-President	Tutsi	8 November 2007		2 years, 9 months	Union for National Progress
		Therence Sinunguruza (1959–) First Vice-President	Tutsi	28 August 2010	20 August 2015		Union for National Progress
		Gervais Rufyikiri (1965–) Second Vice-President	Hutu				National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy
		Gaston Sindimwo First Vice-President	Tutsi	20 August 2015	Incumbent		Union for National Progress
		Joseph Butore Second Vice-President	Hutu				National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy

See also

• Burundi
  • Politics of Burundi
  • List of Kings of Burundi
  • List of Presidents of Burundi
  • List of heads of government of Burundi
  • List of colonial governors of Ruanda-Urundi
    • List of colonial governors of Burundi
  • Martyazo
• Lists of Incumbents

External links

• Constitution of Burundi (In French)