Parliament of Burundi in the context of "Gitega"

Bujumbura (French pronunciation: [buʒumbuʁa]; Kirundi pronunciation: [buʒuᵐbuɾa]), formerly Usumbura, is the economic capital, former political capital, largest city and main port of Burundi. It ships most of the country's chief export, coffee, as well as cotton and tin ore. Bujumbura was formerly the country's political capital. In late December 2018, Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would follow through on a 2007 promise to return Gitega its former political capital status, with Bujumbura remaining as economical capital and center of commerce. A vote in the Parliament of Burundi made the change official on 16 January 2019, and as of late 2025, the transition is still ongoing, having estimated to end in 2022.

A constitutional referendum was held in Burundi on 9 March 1992. It followed the 1991 referendum on the Charter of National Unity, which gave the government a mandate to draw up a new constitution. The resulting document created a presidential republic with unlimited five-year term for candidates, introduced proportional representation as the method for electing the Parliament, guaranteed freedom of the press and human rights, and the requirement for registered political parties to accept the Charter of National Unity.

Approved by 90% of voters with a 97% turnout, the new constitution was promulgated on 13 March. The first elections held under the new constitution took place the following year, with presidential elections on 1 June and parliamentary elections on 29 June.

The president of Burundi, officially the President of the Republic (French: Président de la République; Kirundi: Umukuru W'igihugu c' Uburundi), is the head of state 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. The first constitution to specify the powers and duties of the president was the constitution of 1974 adopted in 1976. The constitution, written by Micombero, affirmed Micombero's position as the first president of Burundi. 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. 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.

The Senate (Kirundi: Inama nkenguzamateka) is the upper chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of between 13 members who serve 5-year terms. The current Senate was elected on 23 July 2025 and consists of 13 members.

Under the newly promulgated 2018 constitution and following the new administrative division, the senate similarly to the national assembly saw its number of seats reduced. The senate goes from 39 seats to 13 seats starting from the 2025 legislative elections.