The Burundian parliament on Tuesday, June 23, confirmed Prosper Bazombanza as vice president and Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni as the Prime Minister, becoming the first top officials to join president Evariste Ndayishimiye’s government. Ndayishimiye was sworn in last week replacing Pierre Nkurunziza, who suddenly died on June 8, from what the Burundian government said was cardiac arrest. The post of the Prime Minister is new in Burundi and one of the changes introduced under the new constitution. The new constitution provides for one vice president and a prime minister, a departure from the old system which had two vice presidents and no prime minister. Bazombanza once served as a vice president from 2014-2015. He also served as head of INSS, the country’s social security fund. On his part, Gen. Bunyoni, seen as one the most influential power brokers in government and military circles, served at the pinnacle of secutiry apparatus in Nkurunziza’s government. Speaking to The New Times, Lionel Manzi, a Burundian political commentator, said that the two appointments are not enough to judge the reading into the new President’s intentions on reconciling the nation which he said remains fractured. “What gave hope to people is that most of the prominent figures during the past five years of repression were not on the MPs lists. People hoped that hardliners would be sidelined in a sign of commitment to a new inclusive vision,” said Manzi. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports from Burundi indicate that Nkurunziza will be buried on Friday, June 26 in the political capital of Gitega.
