SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, July 23, 2025 – The senatorial election held this Wednesday in Gitega province, at the heart of the small East African nation, ended with near-unanimous results in favor of the ruling CNDD-FDD, reinforcing the party’s overwhelming dominance over local institutions at the expense of political diversity.

According to unofficial results compiled by local electoral sources consulted by SOS Médias Burundi, CNDD-FDD’s Hutu candidates reportedly garnered 223 out of 225 votes, while their Tutsi running mates secured 221. This crushing victory reflects, according to several analysts, “a collapse of political pluralism” in a system supposedly designed to ensure diversity.

The contrast is stark for UPRONA, the historic party of Burundi’s independence struggle, which reportedly received only one vote for its Tutsi candidates and none for its Hutu candidates—despite having seven communal councillors across the province’s nine communes. “An incomprehensible result,” lamented a local party official, suspecting coordinated obstruction.

The dissident wing of CNL, opposed to party leader Agathon Rwasa, also suffered a resounding defeat: just one vote out of 225 for each of its two candidates (Hutu and Tutsi).

At the top of the CNDD-FDD ticket were well-known figures: Police Major General Générose Ngendanganya for the Hutu candidates, and Ferdinand Ndayisavye for the Tutsi candidates—both reportedly close to the presidential inner circle.

An unsurprising vote in a tightly controlled context

Burundi’s senators are elected indirectly by communal councillors. In Gitega, 225 grand electors were expected to vote. The electoral system requires a two-thirds majority in the first two rounds, with a third round requiring only a simple majority. While designed to reflect the local balance of power, this mechanism now appears to serve mainly to entrench CNDD-FDD’s political hegemony.

The results in Gitega follow a broader trend set during the communal and legislative elections of June 5, 2025, which were overwhelmingly won by the ruling party. In this context, indirect elections such as the senatorial vote seem like little more than a formality.

The national electoral commission (CENI) announced that provisional results will be released on Thursday, July 24, 2025. But already, the province’s political landscape appears devoid of any meaningful opposition.