Africa
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ECOWAS Leaders have brokered an agreement for the ruling armed forces in Burkina Faso to restore the country’s Constitution, form a transition government as well as conduct elections by November 2015
| By Maureen Chigbo | Nov. 17, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT |
THERE is hope that democratic rule will return soon in Burkina Faso. Three leaders from the Economic Community of West African States have secured an agreement with stakeholders in country for the immediate lifting of the suspension of the Constitution. The lifting of the suspension will enable the Constitutional Council to declare a power vacuum and the next steps for the formation of a Transitional Government. The leaders comprising Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS heads of state and government, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, and Macky Sall of Senegal, brokered the deal during their one day visit to the country Wednesday, November 5, to encourage national dialogue in resolving the crisis in the Burkina Faso.
After their meeting with the leaders of the country’s political parties, representatives of civil society, religious and traditional leaders, members of the armed forces, as well as the chairman and members of the Constitutional Council, the leaders also secured an agreement for presidential and legislative elections to hold within 12 months to resolve the crisis created by last week’s resignation of former President Blaise Compaoré and the dissolution of his government. They also agreed that a transitional government should be formed to manage the country’s affairs for a period of one year. The transitional government is to hold presidential and legislative elections by November 2015, guarantee the security of all Burkinabe including political party leaders, members of the defunct government and the National Assembly, and protect human rights and individual choices.
There was also an agreement on the need to initiate an all-inclusive consultation among political party leaders, representatives of civil society organisations, religious and traditional leaders as well as the national arms forces, to set up the structure and composition of the bodies of the transition.
The ECOWAS leaders called for the “urgent designation by consensus of a suitably eminent civilian to lead the transition.” They recalled the important contributions Burkina Faso made to the promotion of global peace and security as well as political stability within the region and the continent at large, particularly its active participation in peace keeping and mediation processes.
They also urged the stakeholders to engage in dialogue to define a coherent and consensual transition and expressed their deepest condolences to the bereaved families and sympathies to the victims of the uprising October 30.
They also expressed their deep gratitude to Lt.-Col. Yacouba Isaac Zida and members of the country’s armed forces for their professionalism in maintaining security, law and order and for their positive role in the establishment of a transition process led by a personality civil.
During the visit, the leaders were briefed on the outcome of the joint UN-AU-ECOWAS assessment mission to Ouagadougou from October 31 to November 5. The leaders are expected to report the outcome of the visit to the extraordinary summit of heads of state and government which held in Accra, Ghana, from November 6 to 7.
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Tags: Blaise Compaoré ECOWAS Goodluck Jonathan John Dramani Mahama Lt.-Col. Yacouba Isaac Zida Macky Sall
