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Burundi: Court rules President-elect Ndayishimiye to be sworn-in immediately
Constitional court ruling ends the power vacuum created by the sudden death of President Pierre Nkurunziza early this week.
Constitional court ruling ends the power vacuum created by the sudden death of President Pierre Nkurunziza early this week.
Burundi’s Constitutional Court has ruled that president-elect Evariste Ndayishimiye should be sworn in immediately after the sudden death of the incumbent, Pierre Nkurunziza.
The constitution provides for the speaker of Parliament to take over in the event of the death of the president. The court ruled, however, that “the interim period is not necessary as the election to choose a president has already been held, and that Ndayishimiye must be sworn in as soon as possible”, the government said in a statement posted on Twitter on Friday.
The statement did not say when the swearing-in would be conducted.
There had been uncertainty as to who was in charge in Bujumbura since the sudden death government of President Nkurunziza earlier this week.
Ndayishimiye was declared the winner of the country’s May 20 vote after fending off a challenge from the opposition’s Agathon Rwasa, and was officially due to be sworn in in August.