Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi?

The document analyzes Burundi's transition from a devastating civil war (1994-2005) to a democratic framework established by the 2005 Constitution. While the 2005 elections were generally seen as free and fair, the subsequent dominance of the CNDD-FDD party has led to a 'semi-democratic' state. The author identifies several critical pitfalls, including the ruling party's reluctance to share power, the repression of political opposition and civil society, and weak state institutional capacity. The paper concludes with recommendations for the government, parliament, and international community to foster a political climate conducive to the 2010 elections and long-term stability.

• Since the 2005 elections, the CNDD-FDD has transitioned from a rebel group to a dominant political party that has effectively seized control of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches, undermining necessary democratic checks and balances.
• Burundi is currently characterized as a 'semi-democracy,' a state of limbo between democracy and autocracy that is historically prone to instability and internal conflict.
• The CNDD-FDD has frequently violated the 2005 Constitution, specifically regarding the proportional representation of political parties in the government, which has fostered distrust and dysfunction.
• There is evidence of systematic repression of political opposition and civil society, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings, often orchestrated by the National Intelligence Service (SNR), National Police (FDN), and Interior Security Police (PSI).
• State institutional capacity is severely hampered by the appointment of inexperienced party loyalists over qualified professionals, with CNDD-FDD members occupying approximately 80% of civil service posts.
• The transformation of the Palipehutu-FNL from an armed rebel group into a political party remains an unresolved challenge for civil peace, despite the 2009 agreement to remove ethnic connotations from its name.
• There are significant concerns regarding the 2010 elections, specifically the risk of systematic rigging by the CNDD-FDD and the proliferation of small arms among the civilian population.
• Widespread corruption and the perception of politics as a means of economic survival rather than public representation further undermine the legitimacy of the democratic process.

APA

Falch, Å. (2009). Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a2278417-2332-43a5-acc1-51c97cacf503/Falch 2009 Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi PRIO Paper.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Falch, Åshild. Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2009. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a2278417-2332-43a5-acc1-51c97cacf503/Falch 2009 Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi PRIO Paper.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Falch |first1=Åshild |title=Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=3 April 2009 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a2278417-2332-43a5-acc1-51c97cacf503/Falch 2009 Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi PRIO Paper.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{falch2009towards, author = {Falch, Åshild}, title = {{Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a2278417-2332-43a5-acc1-51c97cacf503/Falch 2009 Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi PRIO Paper.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }