Elections on November 29th, 2015 – Roch Marc Christian Kaboré elected President
Because of the attempted coup in September 2015 and the turbulent events that followed it, a new date for the presidential and parliamentary elections had to be set. The Constitutional Council put the elections on November 29, 2015. The list of 14 candidates published on September 10th (see below) remained unchanged.
From the elections went Roch Marc Christian Kaboré (MPP) [ Interview ] of the vote with 53.49% winning out. Zéphirin Diabré (UPC) came second with 29.65%. Kaboré became the first elected president in more than 50 years to emerge from the military.
Born in 1957Kaboré was Prime Minister under Blaise Compaoré from 1994-96. From 2002-2012 he was President of Parliament and thus held the second highest office. From 2003 he was also party leader of the ruling CDP. At the beginning of 2014 he left the CDP and founded the opposition MPP, with the foresight of the falling Compaorés regime. The trained banker is known in politics as a liberal economic expert and has been involved in numerous privatizations in the past.
The MPP led by Kaboré also emerged victorious from the parliamentary elections. In the end, the MPP received 55 out of 127 seats in parliament, the UPC 33 seats and the former ruling CDP 18 seats. The Sankarist UNIR / PS received 5 seats.
Popular uprising on October 30, 2014
October 30, 2014 marks the end of Blaise Compaoré’s 27-year reign. On that day, with the help of the parties loyal to him, he tried to enforce a law in the Assemblée Nationale that would guarantee him further mandates by referendum. A few days earlier there were extensive strikes and demonstrations. The opposition called for civil resistance. All schools remained closed. On October 28, 2014, around one million Burkinabe demonstrated in the streets.
For the vote, the MPs were billeted in the Azalai Hotel Independance near Parliament and shielded from demonstrators with heavy artillery. Nevertheless, around 9:45 am, the masses managed to break through the ban mile and storm the Assemblée Nationale and set it on fire [ video ]. State television and the homes of MPs, CDP officials, allies and relatives of the president were looted, ransacked and went up in flames. The riots and clashes with armed units demanded 24 human lives (five in prison) and 625 injured. 260 property crimes were found.
Towards evening, a self-proclaimed military government announced that the government had been removed and that a curfew was in effect. You will secure state power for 12 months.
At the same time, Blaise Compaoré reported, declared a state of emergency and in turn deposed the government. However, his pronouncements met with total rejection from both the people and the army. Again hundreds of thousands moved to Nation Square. On 31.10.2014 around 14:00 stepped Blaise Compaoré as president of Burkina Faso back. With the help of French President François Hollande, he was able to flee to the Ivory Coast.
At around 2:15 a.m. on November 1, 2014, the army headquarters agreed on Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Yacouba Zida as the new interim president. The decision for the second man in the presidential guard by Blaise Compaoré was challenged on the same day by civil society, former opposition activists and from abroad (USA, UN, African Union and CEDEAO). Sanctions against Burkina Faso were threatened if there was no civil interim president.
As the first measure of the new transitional government, the existing constitution of 1991 was repealed in order – so it was said – to find a way back to a new constitutional social life as quickly as possible. The constitution came into force again on November 15, 2014.
According to historyaah, Nation Square of Burkina Faso was renamed “Revolution Square” again. This should historically tie in with the era of the revolution (1983-87).
On November 2nd, 2014, Revolution Square and the state television station were recaptured by the military and thousands of demonstrators were displaced.
Neither the military nor the opposition nor the popular movement were prepared for a quick takeover. The seizure of power by the army was initially disappointing. The two weeks after the popular uprising were marked by the search for a national agreement on a civil- led transition to constitutional order and democracy under pressure from within and without. The presidents of Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal tried to mediate, and a consensus for a one-year civil transition period was found. Army, political parties, religious and traditional leaders and civil society were to a ” transitional charter,” some. A National Transitional Council should therefore form an interim government. Parliamentary and presidential elections were scheduled for November 2015. On November 17, 2014, the diplomat Michel Kafando was appointed transitional president by a special electoral college – consisting of five representatives each from political parties, civil society groups and the military, as well as eight traditional and religious leaders [ video ].
The popular uprising of October 30, 2014 was directed less by opposition leaders than by leaders of civil society and civil movements. The movement ” Le balai citoyen ” around the singer Smockey played an important role. Initially, many women and middle-class officials were involved, who were tired of the corrupt “Compaoré System”. The trade unions, which were often decisive in the history of the country, remained uninvolved. The decisive factor was the brave efforts of the majority of the youth who has never before met a president other than Blaise Compaoré. They understood that the country and the future of the country belong to them and not to someone with their clan who suddenly had no defenders and supporters [ interview ]. The young people who contributed significantly to the overthrow of Blaise Compaoré are now called ” Generation Sankara ” because the pan-African ideas and visions of self-liberation of the then young Thomas Sankara play a major role after three decades. Years after the popular uprising, the hopes of young people have turned into disappointment and resignation, as there have not yet been any improvements in youth unemployment.
