Court To Sworn-In Burundi's President-Elect, General Ndayishimiye As President Following The Sudden Death Of President Nkurunziza

General Évariste Ndayishimiye

Burundi’s ruling party candidate, General Évariste Ndayishimiye to be sworn in as President of the African nation following the sudden death of the former leader and President Pierre Nkurunziza earlier this week.  

According to China Global Television Network (CGTN), Burundi's Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that the country's newly elected leader Evariste Ndayishimiye be rapidly sworn in as President as the seat won't be allowed to be left vacant following the demise of their leader.

Ndayishimiye, who won the May 20 presidential poll with 68.7 percent, had been expected to take over the presidency from the late Nkurunziza in August when the latter's term ends. 

However, Nkurunziza's sudden death due to a heart attack on Monday will now prompt Ndayishimiye to be sworn in as president sooner than later.

Mackenzieskyblog gathered that the death of Nkurunziza had resulted that the speaker of the Burundian National Assembly, Pascal Nyabenda, was made interim leader before the swearing-in of Ndayishimiye in line with the Constitution. 

Meanwhile, an extraordinary meeting held on Thursday by the council of ministers decided to approach the Constitutional Court to decide on the vacancy according to the Constitution.

In response, the president of the Constitutional Court, Mr. Charles Ndagijimana acknowledged the president-elect as regular and competent, and ruled that; 

"The country must proceed, as soon as possible, with the swearing-in of the President-elect Evariste Ndayishimiye, and the purpose of an interim president disappears due to the legal fact that a president-elect existed," Ndagijimana said. 

According to Burundi's Constitution, Ndayishimiye will serve a seven-year term in office and can only renew the term once. 

The date for the former President's funeral is yet to be announced, but seven days of national mourning has been declared, with the banning of music in bars, nightclubs, and karaoke.