AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - Hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets against the extension of the presidential mandate

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Ouagadougou (Agenzia Fides) - Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, on October 28 to protest against the Constitutional Reform Project which aims to allow President Blaise Compaoré to remain in power.
According to the opposition, there were about a million protesters and clashes with the security forces.
The protest movement wants to oppose the draft constitutional amendment that will be discussed tomorrow by the National Assembly to extend from the current two to three presidential terms, of the duration of five years. A similar situation is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (see Fides 27/10/2014).
In this way President Compaoré may take part in the 2015 presidential elections.
Compaore came to power with a military coup in 1987, following the killing of President Thomas Sankara. After 14 as President from 1992 to 2005, Compaoré was re-elected for two five-year periods from 2005 to 2015.
Article 37 of the Constitution states that more than two presidential terms cannot be carried out. It is precisely this article which is the object of the constitutional revision which sparked popular protests, especially among young people who account for 60% of the 17 million inhabitants of the Country. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 29/10/2014)


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