The military had promised elections in July to restore civilian rule, but it also said security would be prioritized.
Burkina Faso’s military rulers will remain in power for another five years after the end of national negotiations that resulted in a deal to extend the transition to democracy for 60 months starting in July, according to the text of a new charter approved .
“The duration of the transition is set at 60 months from July 2, 2024,” Colonel Moussa Diallo, president of the organizing committee of the national dialogue process, declared on Saturday after the talks.
The new charter was signed during what was originally a two-day national dialogue that began Saturday, ostensibly to chart a path for a return to civilian rule in a country racked by political violence.
The military seized power in a coup in 2022 and had promised to hold elections in July this year to restore civilian rule, but it also said security considerations would take priority.
“The elections marking the end of the transition could be organized before this deadline if the security situation allows it,” specifies the new charter, signed by military leader Ibrahim Traoré.
The charter also allows Traoré to run for president when elections take place.
Under the new agreement, quotas will no longer be used to allocate Assembly seats to members of traditional parties. Instead, “patriotism” will be considered the sole criterion for selecting MPs.
Representatives of civil society, security and defense forces and deputies of the Transitional Assembly took part in the Ouagadougou talks, boycotted by many political parties.
The delay risks deepening concerns about the decline of democracy in West and Central Africa, a region that has seen eight coups in the past four years.
In Burkina Faso, armed groups have led a rebellion since 2015 that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions. The country’s military government has struggled to address its security challenges – which is why it said it would take power in September 2022.
The government severed military ties with former colonial ruler France and turned to Russia for security support. About half of Burkina Faso’s territory remains outside government control.
News Source : www.aljazeera.com
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