Chapter 2: Political and Economic Environment

Burkina Faso’s current President, Blaise Compaore, first came to power in 1984 in a military coup d’etat led by Thomas Sankara.  Compaore, who had shared power with Sankara and two other coup leaders, took sole control as the nation’s leader during a 1997 coup d’etat in which Sankara was killed.  Burkina Faso’s citizens approved a democratic constitution in a 1991 referendum.  In December 1991, Compaore was elected President, running unopposed after the opposition boycotted the election.

Burkina Faso held multiparty municipal elections in 1995, 2000, and 2006 and legislative elections in 1997, 2002, and 2007. Elections have been generally free, despite minor irregularities, but not entirely fair due to the ruling party's control of official resources.  President Compaore’s party, the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP), won overwhelming majorities in all the elections except for the 2002 legislative election, where the CDP won with a small majority of the 111 seats.

Given the fragile roots of democratic institutions, constitutional checks and balances are seldom effective in practice.  The constitution was amended in 2000 to limit the president to a 5-year term, renewable once, beginning with the November 2005 election.  In October 2007, President Compaore celebrated his 20th year in power. He is a skilled politician and dominates the current cabinet and the CDP.  The next presidential elections will be in 2010, at which time Compaore is expected to run again.

For background information on the political and economic environment of Burkina Faso, please click on the link below to the U.S. Department of State Background Notes.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2834.htm