Modification Of The Electoral Code In Burkina Faso: Opposition Standing

Burkina Faso voting operation: reform of the electoral code arouses strong reaction from the opposition 

In Burkina Faso, the opposition is mobilizing against a draft law amending the electoral code. On Thursday morning, 8 June, the Burkinabe opposition is holding a press conference to reaffirm its opposition to the draft bill to reform the electoral code.

Last week, political parties received the working document, which included the dissolution of the Independent National Electoral Commission, which was replaced by a new body under the Ministry of Regional Development. The opposition has risen to denounce "a clear democratic decline" and an attack on the independence of the organization of the electoral process.

The opposition considers that it has not been sufficiently consulted during the drafting process and promises to do everything possible to block the adoption of the text. Zéphirin Diabré (president of the Union for Progress and Change) and leader of the opposition, told RFI his reservations.

"  There is a convoluted formula that has been used. We are talking about the authority that will be in charge of elections, but when we look very closely, in fact, it is a disappearance of the Ceni and the subjection of a certain number of electoral operations to the Ministry of Territorial Administration. That is not possible, it is not acceptable.  "

The vote of the foreign Burkinabè in question

Another point that is not "  acceptable "according to Zephirin Diabré, "  the question of the vote of Burkinabè from abroad. It had always been heard for a very long time (that) that this vote was to take place in 2015. It should no longer take place. There we are now served with a convoluted formula which says that the vote will take place from 2020. It is not the same thing!

And we see the maneuver. In fact, MPP and its government will look at the countries where they think they have the best score and they will say that these countries are ready to go there in 2020. I think they have an interest in reviewing their copy and very soon "