Ibrahim Traoré: Burkina Faso Junta Disbands Electoral Commission, Says It's a Waste of Money
- Burkina Faso's junta dissolved the national electoral commission, citing sovereignty concerns among other issues
- The military government said CENI was too expensive and vulnerable to foreign influence, hinting at deeper political motives
- With no independent body left to manage polls, electoral duties now rest with the interior ministry
- Elections, once planned for 2024, have been pushed to 2029 and Captain Traoré is now eligible to run
Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Burkina Faso's military-led government has disbanded the country’s electoral commission, describing it as expensive.
Source: Getty Images
The government further suggested that it's an externally influenced institution and no longer aligns with its vision of national sovereignty.
In a move announced by Minister of Territorial Administration Emile Zerbo during a press briefing, the junta declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) had been officially dissolved following a decision by the Council of Ministers.
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Following the unprecedented developments, electoral duties will now be absorbed by the interior ministry.
He added that removing the commission would help Burkina Faso reinforce sovereign control over the electoral process.
"Subsidised with nearly half a billion CFA francs — around $870,000 — each year, it is budget intensive.This change was necessary to reinforce our sovereign control of the electoral process and at the same time limit foreign influences," Zerbo said, as quoted by state broadcaster RTB TV.
When will Burkina Faso hold elections?
Burkina Faso had been due to hold national elections in July 2024 as part of a transition plan established after the first coup.
However, in early 2024, the junta announced it was extending the transition period by five more years, effectively pushing any vote until July 2029.
Under the revised transition charter, Traoré is now eligible to run in the next presidential, legislative, and municipal elections.
CENI, previously made up of 15 members drawn from political parties and civil society organisations, had long been tasked with overseeing and organising national votes.
Source: Getty Images
Though it claimed to operate independently, junta officials argue its framework left it vulnerable to external manipulation and aligned poorly with their broader political agenda.
This development marks another significant step in the sweeping reforms introduced by Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s military regime, which came to power in September 2022 after ousting Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, himself a coup leader just eight months earlier.
Traoré’s takeover, like his predecessor’s, was justified by the military’s frustration over the government’s inability to control a deadly jihadist insurgency.
Was there an attempt to oust Traore?
Elsewhere, the junta leader confirmed that security and intelligence services thwarted a recent coup attempt aimed at destabilising the country.
Officers and other insiders, allegedly collaborating with “terrorist leaders,” had planned an assault on the presidential palace, reportedly from neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire.
Authorities arrested several involved military personnel and continue efforts to track down others.
While the coup bid was foiled, the incident highlights tension within the armed forces and underscores the fragile stability of Traoré’s rule since his takeover.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
