Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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Ex-Hutu Rebel Nkurunziza Becomes Burundi's New President
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(http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=EA8A87:3919ACA

Pierre Nkurunziza chosen by Parliament, will be first president since
civil war erupted in 1993





Pierre NkurunzizaBurundi's newly-elected Parliament has chosen former
Hutu rebel commander Pierre Nkurunziza to be the war-torn central
African nation's first president since civil war erupted in 1993.

Mr. Nkurunziza, the only candidate on the ballot, was elected easily
by members of his political party, the former rebel group Force for
the Defense of Democracy, which controls both houses of Parliament.

The 40-year-old president-elect said he will govern on a platform of
racial unity, political inclusion and fighting poverty. He will be
sworn into office next week.

More than 250,000 people - the great majority of them civilians - were
killed during 12 years of bloodshed in Burundi. Civil war broke out
when the country's first democratically elected president, a Hutu, was
assassinated by paratroopers from Burundi's minority Tutsi ethnic
group.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.


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