Burundi: President-elect to assume presidency after court ruling

Burundi’s Constitutional Court has given the green light for President-elect Evariste Ndayishimeyi to be sworn in as the country’s next President.

It follows the sudden death of Pierre Nkurunziza who was due to leave office in August.

The speaker of parliament Pascal Nyabenda was supposed to serve as interim leader based on the country’s constitution.

But the cabinet resorted to the constitutional court for a resolution of the crisis as it couldn’t wait till August for a new president.

The death of Piere Nkurunziza created a power vacuum and on Thursday the First Vice-President, Gaston Sindimwo, chaired a cabinet to find a solution to the matter.

The cabinet agreed to refer the issue to the constitutional court to resolve, according to Sindimwo’s office.

His office tweeted that the cabinet “agrees on the referral to be addressed to the Constitutional Court to declare the vacancy of the post of President of the Republic.”

Several ruling party officials have hailed the court ruling for Mr Ndayishimiye to be sworn in as soon as possible.

But Opposition spokesman Aime Magera has made a case for the speaker of parliament to be sworn in as interim leader and organize fresh elections.

His party, the National Freedom Council, has questioned the conduct of last month’s elections won by the ruling party with 68% of valid votes cast.