Presidential elections were held in Burundi on 1 June 1993 following the approval of a new constitution in a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

the previous year. They were the first multi-party elections for the

presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...

, the only previous elections in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

having been held at a time when the country was a

one-party state A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system, or single-party system is a type of sovereign state in which only one political party has the right to form the government, usually based on the existing constitution. All other parties ...

. They were also only the second contested national elections held in the country since independence in 1962. Three candidates entered the contest, with

Melchior Ndadaye Melchior Ndadaye (28 March 1953 – 21 October 1993) was a Burundian intellectual and politician. He was the first democratically elected and first Hutu president of Burundi after winning the landmark 1993 election. Though he moved to attempt to ...

of the

Front for Democracy in Burundi The Front for Democracy in Burundi (french: link=no, Front pour la Démocratie au Burundi, FRODEBU) is a Hutu progressive political party in Burundi. History It was formed by followers of Melchior Ndadaye from the disbanded Burundi Workers ...

defeating incumbent President

Pierre Buyoya Pierre Buyoya (24 November 1949 – 17 December 2020) was a Burundian army officer and politician who served two terms as President of Burundi in 1987 to 1993 and 1996 to 2003. He was the second-longest serving president in Burundian history. An ...

with 66% of the vote. Voter turnout was 97.3%.Burundi: 1993 Presidential election results
EISA This election was a watershed for Burundi. It represented the end of the military-backed Tutsi-dominated state that had been in place since 1966, and the first

peaceful transfer of power A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly-elected leadership. This may be after elections or during t ...

in the country’s republican history.

Candidates

*Pierre Buyoya, the incumbent president who seized power in a 1987 military coup. A Tutsi from Bururi Province, he was the candidate for the ruling

Union for National Progress The Union for National Progress (french: Union pour le Progrès national, UPRONA) is a nationalist political party in Burundi. It initially emerged as a nationalist united front in opposition to Belgian colonial rule but subsequently became an i ...

. He ran on a platform of national unity and was supported by two predominantly Tutsi parties, the

Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development The Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (french: Ralliement pour la Démocratie et le Développement Économique et Social, RADDES) is a small, predominantly ethnic Tutsi political party in Burundi. History The party support ...

(RADDES) and the Social Democratic Party. *Melchior Ndadaye', the leader and candidate of the

(FRODEBU), a predominantly Hutu party founded in 1986 and officially registered in 1992. Ndadaye's candidacy was supported by three other mainly Hutu parties - the

Rally for the People of Burundi Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade * Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event Sports ...

(RPB), the People's Party (PP), and the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

(PL). *Pierre-Claver Sendegeya, a Hutu and candidate of the monarchist

People's Reconciliation Party The People's Reconciliation Party (french: Parti de la Réconciliation des Personnes, PRP) is a minor political party in Burundi. History The party was established in September 1991 and registered on 30 June 1992.Tom Lansford (2014) ''Political ...

(PRP).

Results

Aftermath

Melchior Ndadaye's election victory put FRODEBU in prime position for a comfortable win in

legislative election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

held on 29 June 1993. Ndadaye was sworn in as the first Hutu

president of Burundi 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 Def ...

on 10 July 1993. His rule would be short, however, as he was assassinated on 21 October 1993 during a military coup attempt by elements of the predominantly Tutsi army. Thereafter, the country plunged into a full-scale

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

References

{{Burundian elections Presidential elections in Burundi Burundi

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...