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Parliament name (generic / translated) Parlement / Parliament More photos  >>> Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name (generic / translated) Inama Nkenguzamateka / Senate Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Inama Nshingamateka / National Assembly Affiliation to the IPU Yes Affiliation date(s) 1985 -1987 1994-1996 1999 - LEADERSHIP President Révérien Ndikuriyo (M)  Notes Elected on 14 Aug. 2015. Secretary General Rénovat Niyonzima (M)  Notes Appointed on 5 May 2014. COMPOSITION Members (statutory / current number) 39 / 39 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN More statistics  >>> Women (current number) 18 (46.15%) Mode of designation indirectly elected 36 other 3 Notes Indirectly elected: elected by an electoral college composed of members of the communal councils in the province concerned. Other: three Twas. Additional members may be co-opted to ensure respect for an equal distribution of seats among Hutus and Tutsis and for the 30 per cent quota of women. Term 5 years Last renewal dates 24 July 2015 (View details) CONTACT INFORMATION Address Sénat B.P. 814 BUJUMBURA (Export mailing lists) Phone (257) 22 24 51 23 (Secretary General/Secrétaire général) 22 24 51 15 (Chief of the Office of the President/Chef de Cabinet du Président) 22 24 51 13 (Protocol/Protocole) 22 25 55 34 (Director of Communications and Public Relations/Directeur de la Communication et des Relations Publiques) Fax (257) 22 24 51 14 E-mail senat@senat.bi celcomsenat@yahoo.fr Website http://www.senat.bi/

Parliament name (generic / translated) Parlement / Parliament Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name (generic / translated) Inama Nkenguzamateka / Senate Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Inama Nshingamateka / National Assembly LEGAL FRAMEWORK Electoral law 20 April 2005 Last modification: 26.03.2015 (Law No 1/10 of 26 March 2015) Mode of designation indirectly elected 36 other 3 Constituencies 18 constituencies: - each of the 18 provinces has 2 representatives; - in each province, the 2 representatives must come from different ethnic communities and therefore are chosen separately through indirect election. Voting system Majority: Three-round system (a variant of the two-round system, TRS) - first two rounds require a super-majority (two-thirds of the votes) for a candidate to be elected; - the third round is organized for the two leading candidates, and is won by a relative majority. Voting is not compulsory. Voter requirements - Burundian nationality, by birth or naturalization; - age: 18 years old or over on election day; - residence in the country on the qualifying date; - senators are elected by members of electoral colleges composed of members of the local councils of the province in question. Overseas voters may vote at embassies and consulates. Disqualifications for voting: - any imprisonment (the disqualification is valid for one to three years thereafter); - insanity/mental illness; - guardianship/ward; - holders of temporary entry permits; - prohibited immigrants. CANDIDATES Eligibility - Burundian nationality, by birth or naturalization; - age: 35 years old or over on election day - candidates must have full civil and political rights; - candidates must be resident in Burundi when candidacies are put forward; - candidates must be natives or citizens of the province in question. Incompatibilities Incompatibilities related to occupations: - remunerated members of the civil service - persons holding posts for foreign States or for international organizations - executives and officers of the Electoral Commission - officers of the Electoral Commission The incompatibilities above are valid during the term of office. Other incompatibilities: - insanity/mental illness - guardianship/ward - holders of temporary entry permits - illegal immigrants Candidacy requirements - Candidatures may be submitted by political parties without restriction. - Nomination by at least 100 electors is required for independent candidates. - For political parties and groups of independent candidates: a deposit of 400,000 Burundian francs is required, reimbursable in full if the party obtains at least 2 per cent of valid votes in the whole country.

Parliament name (generic / translated) Parlement / Parliament Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name (generic / translated) Inama Nkenguzamateka / Senate Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Inama Nshingamateka / National Assembly BACKGROUND Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 24 July 2015 Timing and scope of renewal Indirect elections were held for all elective seats in the Senate on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. (not applicable - indirect elections) STATISTICS Voter turnout Round no 1 24 July 2015 Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes Notes Distribution of votes Round no 1 Political group Candidates Votes % of votes National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) Union for National Progress (UPRONA) Forces for National Liberation (FNL) Distribution of seats Round no 1 Political Group Total of seats National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Front for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) 33 Union for National Progress (UPRONA) 2 Forces for National Liberation (FNL) 1 Distribution of seats according to sex Men Women Percent of women 25 18 41.86% Distribution of seats according to age Distribution of seats according to profession Comments Sources: Senate (26.06.2018) http://www.senat.bi/?page_id=756 http://www.ceniburundi.bi/RESULTAT-PROVISOIRES-DE-L-ELECTION-SENATORIALE-DU-24-JUILLET-2015 Due to the creation of a new province (Rumonge) in March 2015, the new Senate comprises 43 members (previously 41). There are: - Thirty-six indirectly elected senators (two elected in each of the 18 provinces (previously 17); - Three Twas; - Four former Presidents. The "Distribution of seats according to sex" includes three co-opted members (Twas) and four former Presidents. Seventeen women were indirectly elected and one woman was co-opted. Note on the statutory number: At the time of the 2015 renewal, out of 43 senators 18 were women and four were former Presidents of the Republic. One of the former Presidents passed away in May 2016, leaving 42 senators out of which 18 were women. In the new Constitution - promulgated on 7 June 2018 - there is no mention of former Presidents of the Republic when referring to the Senate. On 18 June, the Senate adopted new standing orders thereby officially removing the three remaining former Presidents from the Senate. As at 26 June, out of 39 senators 18 were women.

Parliament name (generic / translated) Parlement / Parliament Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name (generic / translated) Inama Nkenguzamateka / Senate Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Inama Nshingamateka / National Assembly APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE Title President of the Senate Term Duration: 5 years Reasons for interruption of the term: Resignation, death, physical incapacity, permanent disability, absence without justification for more than one quarter of the meetings in a session Appointment Elected by indirect vote by the senators at the first session of the legislature, which meets on the first working day following the seventh day after the decision by the Constitutional Court. Eligibility - Adhere to the Charter of National Unity and pledge to uphold the fundamental principles of Burundi - Any senator can be a candidate; the candidature is deposited in a sealed envelope at the Senate Secretariat and given to the presiding officer before the opening of the vote. Voting system 3-round personal vote, first-past-the-post system. Procedures / results - The oldest senator is the Senate's presiding officer during the vote - The oldest senator proclaims the results - The results cannot be challenged STATUS Status - represents the Senate at public events - third in the State hierarchy (after the President of the Republic and the President of the National Assembly) - is replaced by one of the two Vice-Presidents in his / her absence. Board 1) The Senate Board is governed by the Senate standing orders and by the law. It has one president and two vice-presidents. 2) The Enlarged Board consists of the President, two Vice-Presidents and four standing committee presidents. 3) The Board meets on the President's initiative at variable intervals. Some of the Board's powers are collegial in character; the rest are the personal responsibility of the President. Material facilities - Base pay and representation allowance - Official residence - Official car and drivers - Administrative staff - Security detail FUNCTIONS Organization of parliamentary business - Convenes the sessions in consultation with the Enlarged Board - Refers texts to committee for review - Examines the admissibility of bills - Can set up a joint committee on amendments - Can call to order, adjourn and close meetings - Ensures respect for constitutional and regulatory provisions - Reads the announcements concerning the Senate - Can check the quorum and the records of debates - Validates the texts adopted and records of debates Chairing of public sittings - Is in charge of discipline in the Senate - Has discretionary authority to give the floor to someone not speaking on an item of the agenda and to organize impromptu debates Special powers 1. Together with the Board, establishes the policy for relations with foreign parliaments 2. Puts forward the name of the Secretary General, who is appointed by the Board 3. Is in charge of security and can therefore call in the forces of law and order in the event of a disturbance within the Senate Speaking and voting rights, other functions - Takes the floor during legislative debates - Can intervene in parliamentary review proceedings to ensure respect for the regulations - Must be consulted by the President of the Republic in certain circumstances - Can raise oral or written questions - Tables bills or amendments

Parliament name (generic / translated) Parlement / Parliament Structure of parliament Bicameral Chamber name (generic / translated) Inama Nkenguzamateka / Senate Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) Inama Nshingamateka / National Assembly NATURE Nature of the mandate Free representation that is national in character. No one can receive more than one parliamentary mandate. Start of the mandate - The legislature starts on the day the results of elections are officially proclaimed by the Constitutional Court and ends after five years. - At its first session, the Senate adopts its rules of procedure, which determine how it is organized and functions. It also elects the Board. The first session convenes as soon as the election has been finalized by the Constitutional Court. It is presided by the oldest senator. Validation of mandates Only in the case of a challenge End of the mandate Senators' mandates are terminated in the case of death, resignation, physical incapacity, permanent disability and absence without justification from more than one quarter of the sittings of a session provided for by an organic law. Can MPs resign? Yes Yes, of their own volition. The President of the Senate is competent to accept the resignation of senators. Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes Authority competent to accept the resignation: The President of the Senate STATUS OF MEMBERS Rank in hierarchy The President of the Senate is the country's third-highest official, after the President of the Republic and the President of the National Assembly. Within the Senate: 1. The Board 2. Former heads of State 3. Presidents of standing committees 4. Senators 5. Parliamentary administrators Indemnities, facilities and services - Diplomatic passport - Basic indemnity - Accommodation allowance - Official allowance - Tax-exempt status - Travel allowance Obligation to declare personal assets No Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability 1) Unless they have been caught in flagrante delicto, senators may only be prosecuted while parliament is in session with the authorization of the Senate Board. 2) Senators may be arrested when parliament is not in session only if they have been caught in flagrante delicto, their prosecution has already been authorized or they have been convicted and exhausted all avenues of appeal. Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability Senators may not be prosecuted, searched for or arrested, detained or tried for opinions or votes expressed in the exercise of their functions. EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE Training The Senate provides no training or initiation into parliamentary procedures and practices for senators. Senators are nevertheless encouraged to participate in seminars dealing with those issues whenever an opportunity arises. Participation in the work of the Parliament Participation in the work of the Senate is obligatory. If a senator has missed more than one quarter of the sittings of a regular session and did not invoke one of the reasons mentioned below, the Senate Board, after having considered the case, asks the Constitutional Court to terminate the senator's mandate. Senators may miss sittings for the following reasons: - if they have been entrusted with a temporary mission by the Government or the Senate - if excused by the Board for reasons of force majeure Discipline - Informal disciplinary action - Informal disciplinary action noted in the records - Temporary exclusion Code (rules) of conduct - Internal rules of procedure - Electoral Code - Constitution of the Republic of Burundi Relations between MPs and pressure group There are no legal provisions on such relations.

This page was last updated on 4 July 2018
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