The Party of the People (french: Parti du Peuple, PP) was a

Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic or social group which is native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they form one of the prin ...

political party in

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 PP was established in 1959 following events in neighbouring

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

.Ellen K Eggers (2006) ''Historical Dictionary of Burundi'', Scarecrow Press, p126 It contested the 1961 parliamentary elections as part of 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

Christian Democratic Party __NOTOC__ Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social tea ...

, the Democratic and Rural Party, the People's Emancipation Party, the Murundi People's Voice and several other minor parties. The alliance won six seats, of which the PP took four, but was heavily beaten by 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), which won 58 seats. Following UPRONA's victory, party activist Albert Maus committed suicide upon learning the election results. Party member Basile Ntawumenyakarizi was killed in the Kamenge incidents of January 1962, whilst party secretary Jean Ndukwabike was killed later in the year. Several other party members were threatened or beaten, including party president Joachim Baribwegure and Jean Kandeke.Eggers, p74 The party contested the 1965 parliamentary elections alone, winning 10 seats in the National Assembly and none in the Senate, whilst UPRONA won 21 seats in the National Assembly and 12 in the Senate.

References

{{Burundian political parties Defunct political parties in Burundi Political parties established in 1959 1959 establishments in Burundi