| National Council for the Defense of Democracy | |
| Native Name: | Conseil National Pour la Défense de la Démocratie |
| President: | Léonard Nyangoma |
| Founded: | 24 September 1994 |
| Split: | FRODEBU |
| Ideology: | Hutu interests |
| Colors: | Blue, Red, Green |
| State: | Burundi |
| Seats1 Title: | Senate |
| Seats2 Title: | National Assembly |
The National Council for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD) is a political party in Burundi.
The CNDD was established in Zaire on 24 September 1994 and was initially led by Léonard Nyangoma.[1] The party also established an armed wing, the Forces for the Defence of Democracy, which was involved in the country's ethnic conflict. In the early 2000s the party split, with a faction led by Pierre Nkurunziza becoming the National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD–FDD), which went on to become the ruling party. The CNDD held two ministerial posts in a unity government formed in 2001.[2]
In the 2005 parliamentary elections on 4 July the party received 4% of the vote, winning four of the 118 seats in the National Assembly, whilst the CNDD–FDD won 64.[3] It had performed strongly in local elections in June in Bururi, Nyangoma's home province,[4] receiving 4.2% of the national vote and winning 135 of the 3,225 local council seats across the country.[5] It subsequently won a single seat in the indirect Senate elections on 29 July, which was elected by colleges of local councillors,[6] and gained an additional two co-opted seats.[7] However, Nyangoma went into exile the following year, before returning in 2007.
On 1 June 2010 the party was one of several that withdrew from the presidential elections scheduled for 28 June, accusing the Independent National Elections Commission of incompetence and a lack of impartiality.[8] Following the elections, Nyangoma went into exile again, fearing that his parliamentary immunity would be lifted.[8] The CNDD did not participate in the parliamentary elections on 23 July 2010.[9]