Burundi’s ruling CNDD-FDD party has claimed a sweeping victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, securing all 100 seats, a result that has sparked strong backlash from opposition parties and human rights groups. The Electoral Commission announced on June 11 the party won over 96% of the vote across all provinces, dismissing the election as having only “minor irregularities”.
The opposition Uprona party, which received just over 1% of the vote, denounced the process as fraudulent, while the National Congress for Liberty (CNL), previously the main opposition force, garnered only 0.6%.
Human Rights Watch condemned the outcome, arguing it signalled the systematic erosion of democratic space in Burundi. It accused the CNDD-FDD of suppressing opposition voices through intimidation and state-sanctioned harassment in the lead-up to the polls. Observers noted that election monitors from the Catholic Church were obstructed from accessing some voting centres, and the African Union’s endorsement of the vote as “peaceful” and “transparent” was met with criticism.
Despite the ruling party’s landslide, there was a muted response in the capital, Bujumbura, with no visible public celebration. In accordance with the Arusha Peace Accords, which mandate ethnic representation in parliament, the electoral commission announced the addition of 11 seats to address imbalances—bringing the total number of MPs to 111. The provisional results are pending final confirmation by the Constitutional Court before 20 June.