– Army choice –
Lieutenant Colonel Issac Zida, the army-installed leader, had given the various parties until noon on Sunday to submit names to a panel of 23 mainly civilian electors.
Interviews of the candidates began late on Sunday, despite initial claims by some involved that the winner would be chosen by midnight at the latest.
Zida’s deadline followed an African Union ultimatum, issued on November 3, telling Burkina Faso to establish institutions and pick an interim president by Monday or face sanctions following Compaore’s October 31 ouster and the army takeover.
The army backed Kafando and Ouedraogo.
On Saturday, the military reinstated the constitution, suspended when the army filled the vacuum created by the departure of Compaore, who ruled for 27 years after seizing power in a coup.
A “transition charter” — a sort of interim constitution hammered out between the military and civilian, opposition and religious figures last week — was officially signed on Sunday by the military.
Applause erupted after Zida initialled the document which marked his acceptance of a return to civilian leadership in the country.
Under the deal, the president will appoint a prime minister, either a civilian or a military figure, who will head a 25-member transitional government.
A civilian will also head a 90-seat parliament, known as the National Transitional Council.
According to a draft of the transition blueprint, no members of the interim regime will be allowed to stand in the November 2015 election.
Compaore, who seized power in 1987, quit after violent protests sparked by his bid to extend his rule by changing the constitution of the landlocked former French colony.
About The Author
