• Burundi ruling party selects Ndayishimiye for 2027 election

• CNDD-FDD extends dominance amid limited political competition

• Economic challenges persist, including inflation, debt, low electricity access

Burundi's ruling CNDD-FDD party has named President Évariste Ndayishimiye as its candidate for the 2027 presidential election. The decision was announced Sunday, April 26, after a two-day congress in Gitega.

"After the congress, party members voiced support for continuing the current course by selecting Évariste Ndayishimiye as the CNDD-FDD's candidate for the next presidential election," the party said in a statement.

Ndayishimiye was elected president with 68.72% of the vote in the May 20, 2020 election. Under Burundi's constitution, the president serves a seven-year term, renewable once. The CNDD-FDD, which has been in power since 2005, is the only party represented in the National Assembly for the 2025–2030 legislature, following legislative elections held on June 5, 2025.

Economic backdrop

The announcement comes amid persistent economic fragility. Annual average inflation stood at 26.4% in March 2026, down from 29.0% in February, according to Burundi's National Institute of Statistics.

Burundi's public debt stood at 41.19% of gross domestic product in 2025, according to Statista.com. The country also faces a chronic shortage of foreign currency and logistical constraints that continue to constrain economic activity, despite the government's growth ambitions.

The country also faces a structural infrastructure deficit, particularly in the energy sector. In 2025, access to electricity stood at just 25.9%, including 17.9% connected through decentralized solutions. The human development index remains low, at around 0.43.

In that context, the next president will face several major challenges, including improving electricity access, diversifying the economy and reducing underemployment, which continues to weigh on the labor market. The International Monetary Fund projects growth of 3.8% in 2026.

Ingrid Haffiny