Major General Evariste Ndayishimiye Sworn In As Burundi’s New President

MAJOR GENERAL Evariste Ndayishimiye on Thursday was sworn in as the new president of Burundi for a seven-year term in office, renewable once.

The swearing-in ceremony before Burundi’s Constitutional Court took place at the Ingoma Stadium in the administrative capital Gitega.

It followed ruling of the same court which upheld Ndayishimiye as the winner of the presidential election held on May 20.

Ndayishimiye, 52, of the ruling party the CNDD-FDD (National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy) won last month’s election with 68.70% of the votes after defeating six other candidates.

He was initially scheduled to take oath on Aug. 20 when his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza’s term was supposed to end.

But the Constitutional Court last week ordered the president-elect to take office immediately after the death of Nkurunziza.

Nkurunziza died on June 8 due to heart attack.

Ndayishimiye in a victory speech had appealed