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Executive Branch Reform – 2010

On 25 January 2010, the Office of the Ombudsman was created and the parliament elected Mohamed Rukara, a CNDD-FDD member as the first ombudsman. For his affiliation with political party, there was concern of him being independent and neutral as envisaged in the Arusha agreement and the constitution.¹

As agreed in the Arusha accord, the presidential elections took place on 28 June 2010 in which Pierre Nkurunziza, a CNDD-FDD candidate received more than 91% of votes in the direct election.² On 26 August, the reelected president was sworn in for his second term. A new cabinet was announced on 31 August in which 14 out of the 21 ministers were associated with the ruling party. In new cabinet 9 members were women. Because the constitution does not require political affiliation for 40% share of Tutsi in the cabinet, the new cabinet meets the constitutional requirement of 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi power-sharing provisions.³

1. “2010 Human Rights Report: Burundi,” United States State Department, accessed February 18, 2010, http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/af/154334.htm.
2. “Elections in Burundi,” African Elections Database, acccessed February 18, 2013, http://africanelections.tripod.com/bi.html#2010_Presidential_Election.
3. “Re-Elected President Names New Cabinet Team in Burundi,” Global Insight, August 31, 2010.