Burkina Faso’s military regime has declared it will prolong junta control for another five years.
The nation’s leader, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, will also have the opportunity to compete in the upcoming presidential vote, according to the government-owned broadcaster.
When he took over in a coup almost two years ago, Capt Traore promised to bring back the civilian government by 1 July this year. However, Burkina Faso has now followed Mali in lengthening military governance.
The decision was made on Saturday following a national discussion meeting in the capital city of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou.
A revised constitution, endorsed by Capt Traoré, indicates that the extended transition period of 60 months will start from July 2 of this year.
Reuters news agency cited the charter saying, “The elections concluding the transition could happen before this date if the security situation allows.”
Burkina Faso has been under military rule since January 2022, when Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba took control from President Roch Kaboré.
Col Damiba defended the coup by stating that the previous administration had failed to address the escalating militant Islamist threats.
Since 2015, extremist rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have been fighting a persistent rebellion that has resulted in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of millions.
In September 2022, Capt Traoré removed Col Damiba from power, arguing that a second coup was necessary because Col Damiba was unable to address the insurgency.
Capt Traoré vowed to improve the country’s grave security situation within “two to three months” and reintroduce civilian governance within 21 months.
However, since making the promise, Capt Traoré has cautioned that holding elections is not “a priority” until areas are reclaimed from extremist forces, ensuring that all citizens can participate in voting.
According to AFP news agency, the new constitution abolishes the use of quotas to allocate seats in the assembly to representatives of traditional parties.
Instead, the sole criterion for choosing deputies will be “patriotism.”
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