1993 Burundian presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Burundi on 1 June 1993 following the approval of a new constitution in a referendum the previous year. They were the first multi-party elections for the presidency, the only previous elections in 1984 having been held at a time when the country was a one-party state. They were also only the second contested national elections held in the country since independence in 1962.

Three candidates entered the contest, with Melchior Ndadaye of the Front for Democracy in Burundi defeating incumbent President Pierre Buyoya with 66% of the vote. Voter turnout was 97.3%.

This election was a watershed for Burundi. It represented the end of the military-backed Tutsi-dominated state that had been in place since 1966, and the first peaceful transfer of power in the country’s republican history.