President of Burundi

President of the
Republic of Burundi
Président de la République du Burundi
Coat of arms of Burundi
since 18 June 2020
Executive branch in Burundian politics
StyleHis Excellency
StatusHead of state
Head of government
Term length7 years
Renewable once
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Burundi
Formation28 November 1966
First holderMichel Micombero
DeputyVice-President of Burundi
Salary47,300 USD annually[1]
WebsiteOfficial Website
Politics of Burundi
Constitution
Government
Parliament
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Elections
Foreign relations
United Nations in Burundi
flag Burundi portal

The president of Burundi, officially the President of the Republic (French: Président de la République), 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.[2] The first constitution to specify the powers and duties of the president was the constitution of 1974 adopted in 1976.[3] The constitution, written by Micombero, affirmed Micombero's position as the first president of Burundi.[4] The powers of the president currently derive from the 2005 constitution implemented as a result of the 2000 Arusha Accords after the Burundian Civil War.[3] The current president since 18 June 2020 is Évariste Ndayishimiye.

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 in the constitution. The president is granted a variety of powers throughout the constitution. Title V establishes the executive powers granted to the president and Title VI establishes legislative powers granted to the president. The president has the power to appoint military commanders, ambassadors, magistrates, provincial governors and members of various national councils. The president also appoints all judges, including those of the Supreme Court and 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 that parliament is unable to agree upon. The president can also amend the constitution. The president represents Burundi in international affairs by signing and ratifying its treaties. The president is the sole office to manage war, but needs approval from parliament and the National Council of Security to start wars. The president is the sole post that can authorize military action. The president is also the sole post to grant civil and military awards.

A presidential term is seven years,[5] and a president can serve two terms. The president is assisted by two presidentially appointed vice-presidents;[6] however, the 2018 Burundian constitutional referendum passed to eventually reduce the number of vice-presidents to one.[7] The president is entitled to a pension after the end of their final term of office.[6]

  1. ^ "The highest and lowest paid African presidents - Business Daily". 27 December 2020.
  2. ^ Chrétien, Jean-Pierre. "Micombero, Michel". Oxford African American Studies Center.
  3. ^ a b Manirakiza, Pacifique. "The 2005 Constitution of Burundi" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  4. ^ "The Constitution of Burundi". Issue: A Journal of Opinion. 5 (2): 24–28. 1975. doi:10.2307/1166783. JSTOR 1166783.
  5. ^ Moore, Jina (18 May 2018). "Burundi Voters Back Constitution Extending Presidential Term". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Burundi's Constitution of 2005" (PDF). 2005. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ "Burundi backs new constitution extending presidential term limits". Al Jazeera.