Editing Front for Democracy in Burundi

{{short description|Political party in Burundi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Front for Democracy in Burundi
| logo             = Logo of the Front for Democracy in Burundi.png
| colorcode        = {{party color|Front for Democracy in Burundi}}
| leader           = 
| president        = [[Léonce Ngendakumana]]
| secretary_general = 
| spokesperson     = 
| ideology         = [[Hutu]] interests<br />[[Progressivism]]<br/>[[Democratic socialism]]<br />[[Social democracy]]
| position         = [[Left-wing]]
| headquarters     = 
| international    = [[Socialist International]]
| website          = 
| native_name      = Front pour la Démocratie au Burundi<!--<br/>Sahwanya Umugambwe w'Inziraguhemuka-->
| chairperson      = 
| founders         = [[Melchior Ndadaye]]<br />[[Cyprien Ntaryamira]]<br />[[Sylvestre Ntibantunganya]]
| slogan           = 
| founded          = 1986
| legalised        = 1992
| dissolved        = 
| predecessor      = [[Burundi Workers' Party]]
| merged           = 
| successor        = 
| newspaper        = 
| paramilitary_wing = 
| student_wing     = 
| youth_wing       = 
| membership_year  = 
| membership       = 
| religion         = 
| national         = 
| affiliation1_title = 
| affiliation1     = 
| colors           = Green, white
| symbol           = 
| flag             = [[File:Flag of FRODEBU.svg|200px|border]]
| state            = Burundi
| footnotes        = 
| seats1_title     = [[Senate (Burundi)|Senate]]
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|0|43|hex={{party color|Front for Democracy in Burundi}}}}
| seats2_title     = [[National Assembly (Burundi)|National Assembly]]
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|0|121|hex={{party color|Front for Democracy in Burundi}}}}
}}
{{Melchior Ndadaye sidebar}}
The '''Front for Democracy in Burundi''' (<!--{{Langx|rn|Sahwanya Umugambwe w'Inziraguhemuka}}; -->{{langx|fr|Front pour la Démocratie au Burundi}}, '''FRODEBU''') is a political party in [[Burundi]].

== History ==
It was formed by followers of [[Melchior Ndadaye]] from the disbanded [[Burundi Workers' Party]] in 1986. FRODEBU was legalized as a political party in 1992.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Amnesty International
| authorlink = Amnesty International
| title = Glossary of Burundian political parties and armed opposition groups relevant to the conflict in Burundi
| publisher=International Documentation Network on the African Great Lakes Region 
| date =2001-03-22 
| url = http://www.grandslacs.net/doc/2150.pdf
| accessdate = 2009-02-21}}</ref>

In 1993, FRODEBU won power in Burundi and put forward a Hutu president, [[Melchior Ndadaye]]. The election of a Hutu government triggered violence between Hutu and Tutsi militias, and President Ndadaye was assassinated. In retaliation, some 25,000 Tutsis were killed. The Tutsis responded with an outbreak of violence against Hutus and killed civilians in retaliation. The violence was on a smaller scale than the mass genocide occurring in Rwanda where Hutu were massacring Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

By mid-1994, FRODEBU had been severely crippled by a loss of leadership; of its 11-strong central committee prior to the 1993 elections, by that point only [[Sylvestre Ntibantunganya]] remained active with the party in Burundi. Six of the committee members had been killed, while the remainder had fled into exile.<ref>{{cite news| title = Burundi : On a knife's edge| newspaper = Africa Confidential| volume = 35| issue = 16| date = 1994| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Wo8MAQAAMAAJ}}</ref>

In the legislative [[Burundian legislative election, 2005|2005 parliamentary election]], the party won 21.7% of the vote and 30 out of 118 seats,<ref>[http://www.ipu.org/parline/reports/2049_E.htm 2005 National Assembly Elections in Burundi], IPU PARLINE</ref> becoming the main opposition party.<ref name="Alice">[http://en.afrik.com/news11337.html "Burundi's main opposition party suspends participation in parliament"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130102001706/http://en.afrik.com/news11337.html |date=2 January 2013 }}, Panapress (Afrik.com), 22 February 2008.</ref>

FRODEBU suspended its participation in the [[National Assembly of Burundi|National Assembly]] on 21 February 2008 to protest efforts by the [[National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy]] (CNDD/FDD) to remove [[Alice Nzomukunda]], a former CNDD/FDD member, from her post as vice-president of the National Assembly.<ref name="Alice"/>

FRODEBU is a consultative member of the [[Socialist International]].<ref>[http://www.socialistinternational.org/maps/english/africa.htm List of Socialist International parties in Africa] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028081151/http://www.socialistinternational.org/maps/english/africa.htm |date=28 October 2007 }}.</ref>

== Electoral history ==

=== Presidential elections ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Election
!Party candidate
!Votes
!%
!Result
|-
|[[1993 Burundian presidential election|1993]]
|[[Melchior Ndadaye]]
|1,483,904
|65.68%
|'''Elected''' {{Y}}
|-
|[[2010 Burundian presidential election|2010]]
| colspan="4" |Boycotted
|}

=== National Assembly elections ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Election
!Votes
!%
!Seats
!+/–
!Position
|-
|[[1993 Burundian parliamentary election|1993]]
|1,532,106
|72.58%
|{{Composition bar|65|81|{{party color|Front for Democracy in Burundi}}}}
|{{increase}} 65
|{{increase}} 1st
|-
|[[2005 Burundian parliamentary election|2005]]
|525,336
|21.70%
|{{Composition bar|30|118|{{party color|Front for Democracy in Burundi}}}}
|{{decrease}} 35
|{{decrease}} 2nd
|-
|[[2010 Burundian parliamentary election|2010]]
| colspan="5" |Boycotted
|-
|[[2015 Burundian parliamentary election|2015]]
| colspan="5" |Boycotted
|-
|[[2020 Burundian general election|2020]]
|31,106	
|0.73%
|{{Composition bar|0|123|{{party color|Front for Democracy in Burundi}}}}
|{{steady}} 
|{{decrease}} 4th
|}
[[File:Melchior Ndadaye speaking at a FRODEBU rally.jpg|thumb|left|Ndadaye speaking at a FRODEBU rally following his electoral victory in 1993|114x114px]]

=== Senate elections ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Election
!Seats
!+/–
!Position
|-
|[[2005 Burundian parliamentary election|2005]]
|{{Composition bar|5|49|{{party color|Front for Democracy in Burundi}}}}
|{{increase}} 5
|{{increase}} 2nd
|-
|[[2010 Burundian parliamentary election|2010]]
| colspan="5" |Boycotted
|-
|[[2015 Burundian parliamentary election|2015]]
| colspan="5" |Boycotted
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Burundian political parties}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Front For Democracy in Burundi}}
[[Category:1986 establishments in Burundi]]
[[Category:Democratic socialist parties in Africa]]
[[Category:Formerly banned socialist parties]]
[[Category:Former member parties of the Socialist International]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1986]]
[[Category:Political parties in Burundi]]
[[Category:Socialism in Burundi]]


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