The Christian Democratic Party (french: Parti Démocratique Chrétien, PDC) was a

political alliance A political group is a group consisting of political parties or legislators of aligned ideologies. A technical group is similar to a political group, but with members of differing ideologies. International terms Equivalent terms are used differ ...

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

History

The PDC was established by brothers Joseph Biroli and Jean Ntitendereza shortly before independence after leaving the

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 ...

(UPRONA).Ellen K. Eggers (2006) ''Historical Dictionary of Burundi'', Scarecrow Press, p. 125. In September 1960 the party joined the

Common Front In politics, a common front is an alliance between different groups, forces, or interests in pursuit of a common goal or in opposition to a common enemy. Other words that may be used are "alliance" or " coalition", though the term "common front" is ...

alliance, alongside the Party of the People (PP), the Democratic and Rural Party, the People's Emancipation Party, the Murundi People's Voice and several other smaller parties. Local elections in November and December 1960 saw the PDC emerge as the largest party, winning 2,004 seats to UPRONA's 545. However, in the September 1961 parliamentary elections the Common Front won only six seats, of which the PDC took just two. The alliance was heavily beaten by UPRONA, which won 58 seats. In October 1961, UPRONA leader and Prime Minister Prince Louis Rwagasore was assassinated by Jean Kageorgis, who was in the pay of the PDC. The assassination was organised by Biroli and Ntitendereza with the encouragement of some Belgian officials, and aimed to create turmoil from which the PDC would benefit.Eggers, p. 18. After independence Biroli and Ntitendereza were sentenced to death; Biroli was killed on 14 January 1963, whilst Ntitendereza was hanged in

Gitega Gitega (), formerly Kitega, is the political capital of Burundi. Located in the centre of the country, in the Burundian central plateau roughly east of Bujumbura (the largest city and former political capital), Gitega (the second largest city) ...

in 1962.Eggers, p. 120. With the PDC's loss in the legislative elections and the execution of Ntidendereza and Biroli, the party ceased to be a viable political force.

References

{{Burundian political parties Defunct political parties in Burundi Christianity in Burundi Christian democratic parties in Africa