1965 Burundian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Burundi on 10 May 1965, the first since independence in 1962. Voters elected the National Assembly, which had been reduced from 64 to 33 seats. They followed the assassination of Prime Minister Pierre Ngendandumwe on 15 January 1965, and were won by the ruling Union for National Progress.

Background

On January 15, 1965, Burundian Prime Minister Pierre Ngendandumwe was assassinated. In response, Mwami Mwambutsa IV dissolved Parliament and called for new elections.

Results

National Assembly

Party		Seats	+/–
	Union for National Progress	21	–37
	Party of the People	10	+6
	Other parties	0	0
	Independents	2	New
Total		33	–31
Source: EISA,

Senate

Following the National Assembly elections, the 16-member Senate was filled. Eight members of the Senate were elected by the members of the National Assembly—each representing one of the county's provinces, all of which were UPRONA members. The eight Senate members elected a further four members, with a further four appointed by the King.

Aftermath

Despite the decisive victory by Hutu candidates in the election, King Mwambutsa IV appointed a Tutsi prince, Léopold Biha, as Prime Minister.

Tensions finally erupted into violence following an attempted coup by Hutu army officers in October 1965. The failed coup was followed by a major purge of Hutus in the armed forces. Hutu politicians and civilians were also killed. The following year Mwambutsa was overthrown by his son Ntare V, who was deposed in a military coup later in the year, ending the country's monarchy.

Works cited

• Lemarchand, René (1970). Rwanda and Burundi. New York: Praeger Publishers. OCLC 254366212.
• Russell, Aiden (2019). Politics and Violence in Burundi: The Language of Truth in an Emerging State. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108499347.
• Weinstein, Warren (1976). Historical Dictionary of Burundi. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810809628.