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R 191223Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1664
INFO AMEMBASSY NAIROBI

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUJUMBURA 000416 
 
 
NAIROBI PLEASE PASS TO AMBASSADOR SLUTZ 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2019 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV EAID BY
SUBJECT: GUIDE TO BURUNDI'S REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTIES 
 
Classified By: CDA Charles Twining for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY.  This is a quick reference resource on 
Burundi's active political parties.  There are 43 registered 
parties in Burundi, but only 15 are presently active.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
KEY POLITICAL PARTIES 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Conseil National pour la Defense de la Democratie - 
Forces pour la Defense de la Democratie (CNDD-FDD) 
 
- Ruling Party 
 
- Predominantly Hutu; founded in 1994 as a rebel movement. 
 
- CNDD-FDD signed a cease-fire agreement with the government 
of Burundi in December 2002 and registered as a political 
party in January 2005. 
 
- 2005 Elections: CNDD-FDD won 67.3% of the Senate and 54.2% 
of the National Assembly.  It also won the presidency when 
the parliament elected Pierre Nkurunziza to the position. 
 
- 2010 Elections: President Nkurunziza is widely assumed to 
be CNDD-FDD's 2010 presidential candidate, although this is 
not yet official.  At present, Nkurunziza is the only 
political figure with a viable chance of wining, in part due 
to CNDD-FDD's well-oiled political machine and in part 
because no other party's presidential candidate has the 
popularity or name recognition of Nkurunziza. 
 
CNDD-FDD as a party, however, is expected to lose 
parliamentary seats in the coming election; its popularity, 
while still high compared to other parties, has waned in many 
provinces, primarily due to the population's disappointment 
in CNDD-FDD's unfulfilled political promises. 
 
¶3. (C) Conseil National pour la Defense de la Democratie 
(CNDD) 
 
- Predominantly Hutu, but seems to desire an ethnicity-free 
identity. 
 
- After being dismissed from CNDD-FDD in 1998, party founder 
Leonard Nyangoma continued to claim the name "CNDD-FDD." 
However, the government required that he form a new party 
with a new name, so he called it "CNDD."  It was registered 
in January 2005 and is not connected to the ruling CNDD-FDD 
party. 
 
- Nyangoma is one of the most outspoken and articulate of the 
opposition political leaders.  In addition, his historic role 
as founder of CNDD-FDD, as well as his renowned intellect 
give him a high stature in Burundi's political landscape. 
 
- 2005 Elections: In 2005, CNDD won 10.2% of the Senate and 
3.3% of the National Assembly. 
 
- 2010 Elections: CNDD has not yet declared a presidential 
candidate, but experienced political observers expect 
Nyangoma will be the party's 2010 candidate.  Party prospects 
are unknown, but Nyangoma's presidential prospects are quite 
limited.  Nyangoma and the CNDD could have influence, 
however, by throwing support to another party, probably 
FRODEBU. 
 
¶4. (C) Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) 
 
- Predominantly Hutu. 
 
- 2005 Elections: In 2005, FRODEBU won 14.2% of the Senate 
and 25.4% of the National Assembly. 
 
- 2010 Elections: FRODEBU's presidential candidate is former 
President of Burundi Domitien Ndayizeye.  FRODEBU is a solid 
member of the opposition political scene, but is not believed 
to be strong enough alone to unseat CNDD-FDD.  Political 
experts state that FRODEBU needs, and will likely seek, a 
coalition in order to gain enough votes to win the presidency 
as well as a significant number of seats in parliament. 
 
¶5. (C) Union for National Progress (UPRONA) 
 
- Traditionally identified as the Tutsi party. 
 
- UPRONA has a breakaway wing of the same name.  The 
hard-line faction split in opposition to the 2000 Arusha 
Accords, asserting that no negotiations should occur with 
those who committed genocide against Tutsis.  The GoB 
recognizes the original UPRONA party, not the splinter wing. 
 
- On August 2, UPRONA held a party congress to elect new 
leaders and further reunification efforts.  Bonaventure 
Niyoyankana (baby brother of the Minister of Defense), a 
Tutsi from the GoB recognized wing, was elected president and 
Concilie Nibigira, a Hutu of the splinter wing, was elected 
the party's vice president.  Political observers consider 
this internal election a significant step toward 
reunification as well as a good example of how parties can 
conduct fair and peaceful internal elections. 
 
- 2005 Elections: In 2005, UPRONA won 6.1% of the Senate and 
12.7% of the National Assembly. 
 
- 2010 Elections: UPRONA has not declared a 2010 presidential 
candidate.  UPRONA will likely win parliamentary seats again 
in the coming elections, but observers do not expect the 
party to be competitive for the presidency.  As a mostly 
Tutsi party in a majority-Hutu country, competing with strong 
Hutu-dominated parties, UPRONA has no real chance of winning 
a majority vote for the presidential seat. 
 
¶6. (C) Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL)  (formerly 
Palipehutu-FNL) 
 
- Predominantly Hutu; founded in 1980 as a political 
movement.  Its armed branch was created in 1983. 
 
- FNL signed the final cease-fire implementation agreement in 
December 2008.  The GoB registered FNL as a political party 
in April 2009 after FNL leadership finally agreed to drop the 
"palipehutu" (Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People) 
from the party's name.  Ethnic references are banned by 
constitutional prohibition. 
 
- 2005 Elections: In 2005, FNL was not a registered political 
party. 
 
- 2010 Elections: The FNL has not declared a 2010 
presidential candidate, but FNL party president Agathon Rwasa 
often speaks as if he is the candidate.  FNL's prospects for 
the elections are difficult to gauge considering they became 
a political party just months ago.  While FNL has support 
throughout the countryside, it does not have political 
experience, nor can it match the CNDD-FDD's party machinery. 
 
¶7. (C) Union Pour la Democratie (UPD) Zigamibanga 
 
- Predominantly Hutu, but working hard to attract Tutsi 
support. 
 
- While CNDD-FDD's head of ideology and propaganda, Hussein 
Radjabu created UPD as a surreptitious, strategic alternative 
party, in case the GoB did not register CNDD-FDD.  Radjabu 
planned to use UPD as CNDD-FDD's political arm and had UPD 
registered in 2002, but when CNDD-FDD was registered in 2005, 
UPD became unnecessary and then inactive. 
 
- Radjabu went on to be president of CNDD-FDD and kingmaker 
of Nkurunziza, but in February 2007, he was expelled from 
CNDD-FDD and subsequently imprisoned for plotting to 
overthrow the government.  Radjabu then reactivated UPD, 
installing his cousin Mohamed Feruzi as party president. 
 
- 2005 Elections: UPD was not active in 2005. 
 
- 2010 Elections: UPD is swiftly growing in popularity in the 
interior.  Radjabu runs the party from jail and is an 
experienced, no-holds-barred political operator.  UPD has not 
yet declared a presidential candidate; party representatives 
informed PolOff that they have a candidate, but are "not 
ready" to release his or her name. 
 
Post expects UPD to do well in elections for the National 
Assembly.  The party's prospects for the presidential 
election, however, remain as unknown as its candidate. 
 
¶8. (C) Mouvement pour la Solidarite et la Democratie (MSD) 
 
- MSD's founders are Hutu, but party president Alexis 
Sinduhije is a Tutsi.  The party's platform includes 
overcoming ethnic conflict and division. 
 
- The government registered MSD on June 8, 2009, after more 
than a year of delays.  The GoB reportedly delayed the 
registration out of fear that Sinduhije will use his 
influence effectively against the ruling party in the 
upcoming elections. 
 
- 2005 Elections: In 2005, MSD did not exist. 
 
- 2010 Elections: Sinduhije, well-known former journalist and 
manager of a popular radio station, is the presumed 
presidential candidate, but has stated that he wishes to 
create a primary process within his party to nominate the 
presidential candidate. 
 
Sinduhije's prospects as presidential candidate are limited. 
He has support among the intelligentsia and in Bujumbura, but 
it is said that he does not yet resonate with the general 
populace in Burundi's interior.  MSD's prospects for winning 
parliamentary seats are unknown.  Since MSD is so closely 
identified with Sinduhije, it is difficult to assess the 
popularity of MSD as a party.  As with Sinduhije himself, 
MSD's message and approach seem to connect with the 
well-educated elite rather than the majority of Burundi's 
population. 
 
 
ACTIVE BUT MINOR POLITICAL PARTIES 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) ABASA (African-Burundian Alliance for Salvation) 
 
- Registered in July 1993; predominantly Tutsi. 
 
- Although the party has few members, its leader, Ambassador 
Terence Nsanze, remains vocal on all hot issues. 
 
¶10. (U) ADR (Democratic Alliance for Revival) 
 
- Registered in August 2008 by a splinter that broke away 
from the ruling CNDD-FDD party. 
 
- Strength and popularity are not yet known. 
 
¶11. (U) CDP (Council of Patriots) 
 
- Registered in March 2009; predominantly Hutu. 
 
- Strength and popularity are not yet known. 
 
¶12. (C) FRODEBU Nyakuri ("The Real" FRODEBU) 
 
- Predominantly Hutu. 
 
- In 2007, prominent FRODEBU member Dr. Jean Minani created 
this faction and called it FRODEBU Nyakuri.  The GoB 
registered it in 2008, allowing FRODEBU Nyakuri use of the 
name and symbols of the main FRODEBU party.  Reports indicate 
that the ruling party fostered the FRODEBU split after 
Hussein Radjabu's February 2007 ouster from CNDD-FDD led to 
CNDD-FDD losing its majority in the National Assembly. 
 
- FRODEBU Nyakuri is believed to support the ruling party. 
 
¶13. (C) MRC (Movement for the Rehabilitation of Citizens) 
Rurenzangemero 
 
- Registered in November 2002; predominantly Tutsi. 
 
- It is believed that Epitace Bayaganakandi (who was Minister 
of Interior during the height of the civil war and also 
formerly Minister of Transportation) created the party to 
represent Tutsis who are not from Burundi's southern 
provinces, particularly Bururi province.  Burundi's ruling 
Tutsis have predominantly come from the southern provinces. 
- In the 2005 elections, MRC won two seats in the National 
Assembly.  MRC has stated that it is "in the opposition" and 
is promising to participate in the 2010 elections. 
 
¶14. (U) PARENA (Party for National Recovery) 
 
- Registered in August 1994; predominantly Tutsi. 
 
- Founded by former President of Burundi Jean-Baptiste Bagaza. 
 
- PARENA adopted a very low profile after performing poorly 
in the 2005 elections.  However, Bagaza has started to speak 
out again. 
 
¶15. (U) PTD-Twungurunani (Party of Workers and Democracy) 
 
- Registered in April 2008; limited to union activists. 
 
- PTD is just beginning to become active; its strength and 
popularity are not yet known. 
 
¶16. (U) RADEBU (Union of Democrats for Development in Burundi) 
 
- Jean de Dieu Mutabazi, formerly a prominent member of 
FRODEBU, created the RADEBU splinter party.  The GoB 
registered RADEBU in 2007.  It has historically supported the 
CNDD-FDD but has not been very active recently. 
 
- Strength and popularity are not known. 
 
Twining