I talk about Burkina Faso's government system from executive to legislative and how elections work in the country.

1. February 26,
2020
The Government System of Burkina Faso
theweeklyrambler.com/the-government-system-of-burkina-faso/
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in the West of Africa and is bordered with six other
countries which are Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’ivoire (Ivory Coast). The
country’s capital Ouagadougou is situated in the country’s central plateau.
The country was previously part of the French Empire, then the French Union and then
as a self-governing state in the French Community and was part of French West Africa
and the land of Burkina Faso was called French Upper Volta or just Upper Volta. As a self-
governing colony in the French Community it became the Republic of Upper Volta. The
country later got full independence in 1960 and would later change its name to Burkina
Faso in 1984.
The country has been fairly unstable going through a number of coups and also
continues to have problems with Islamic extremist groups in the country. French is the
official language in the country but a number of ethnic languages are recognised
including Moore, Fula and Dioula Language. The largest ethnic group in the country is
the Mossi. Sunni Islam is the largest religion and the country uses the West African CFA
franc as its currency which is also used by 7-other countries in West Africa, 100 centimes
makes one franc. The country’s accelerating population is estimated to reach 20,835,401
by July 2020 according to the CIA World Factbook.
Government Type
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2. Burkina Faso Coat of Arms.Source. Source.
Burkina Faso is a democratic republic with both a President who is Head of State and a
Prime Minister who is Head of Government. A unicameral legislature makes up the
legislative government and multiple parties are allowed, although parties considered to
be tribalist, regionalist, denominational or racist are banned by the constitution.
Executive Government
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3. Roch Marc Christian Kabore, current President of Burkina Faso. Photo byLetartean from
Wikimedia. License.
The executive government includes both the President and Prime Minister. The
President who is Head of State has a number of executive powers at its disposal while
the Prime Minister has powers over the make-up of executive government and is
accountable to the unicameral legislature.
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4. The President is charged to make sure the constitution is respected. The President
appoints the Prime Minister from the majority party or group in the National Assembly
after legislative elections. The President can also remove the Prime Minister if they resign
or on the president’s own authority if in the superior interest of the nation. The
President also appoints members of the government on advice of the Prime Minister and
can remove them on advice from the Prime Minister.
The President also presides over the Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister
substitutes for him. The President promulgates laws passed by parliament, he can
though send it back asking for a 2nd reading of the law or certain articles within it.
The President, after opinion from the Prime Minister and President of the National
Assembly, can call a national referendum on any law bill passed by parliament that is
deemed requiring direct consultation of the people. If a bill is passed by parliament again
or accepted by national referendum then it will be promulgated.
After consultation with the Prime Minister and President of the National Assembly the
President can declare dissolution of parliament which would lead to new legislative
elections. The President can convoke an extraordinary session of parliament.
The President is the Supreme Head of the National Armed Forces and in this role the
President presides over the Superior Council of Defense. The President also appoints the
Major General Head of the Armies. The President also appoints to the offices of the high
civil and military administration and also in the societies and enterprises of strategic
character determined by law.
The President also appoints ambassadors and envoys to foreign countries and
international organisations.
The President has the power to pardon and also proposes the laws of amnesty.
The President after deliberation with the Council of Ministers can decree a state of
urgency or siege.
In circumstances required such as threatening of the country’s independence, integrity of
its territory or if executions of its obligations are menaced in a grave or immediate
manner or if the regular functioning of the public constitutional powers are interrupted
the President can be granted exceptional powers after consultation with the Council of
Ministers, President of the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court.
Many of the President’s powers require counter-signature by the Prime Minister or
Ministers concerned. Some such as pardoning and times under exceptional
circumstances do not.
The President presides over the Superior Council of the Magistrature, of which the
President is the guarantor of the independence of judicial power. The council decides on
judicial appointments and on assignments of the magistrates. The first President of the
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5. Court of Cassation is the President of the council.
The President appoints the Constitutional Council, which includes three magistrates
proposed by the Minister of Justice, three persons of distinction one of whom is a jurist
and these three are solely appointed by the President and three persons of distinction
one of whom is a jurist on proposal of the President of the National Assembly. These
members sit for 9-year terms but are not all appointed at once but in a set rotation.
Finally, the President of the Constitutional Council is appointed by the President of the
Nation, also serving a 9-year term.
If the President is incapacitated temporarily from fulfilling his functions the Prime
Minister will provisionally exercise the powers of the President. If the President is vacant
for any reason, or if they have been declared definitively or absolutely incapacitated by
the Constitutional Council, then the functions of the President are exercised instead by
the President of the National Assembly and a Presidential Election is called.
The Prime Minister heads the Executive government and is involved with determining of
governing policy and implementation of laws. The Prime Minister is responsible to both
the President and the National Assembly. He gives advice of appointments to the
President for his government.
Upon getting into office the Prime Minister will make a declaration of general policy,
which must be passed by an absolute majority of the members of the National Assembly,
if it does not then the President will remove the Prime Minister and appoint another.
The Prime Minister can call for an extraordinary session of parliament or call for a
session of parliament to be closed to the public.
Legislative Government
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6. National Assembly. Photo by Sputniktilt from Wikimedia. License.
A currently 127-member unicameral legislature called the National Assembly makes up
the legislative government and it introduces, debates on and votes on law bills and
amendments and consents to taxes. An extraordinary session of parliament can be
called on specific agenda by the voting of an absolute majority of the National
Assembly’s members. A third of members can vote to have a session of the National
Assembly closed to the public.
There was originally a bicameral parliament but the upper house was abolished in 2002,
there was plans to reinstate an upper house in 2012 calling it the “senate” but a crisis
over its establishment in 2014 has left the revision unfulfilled and so the country
continues with a unicameral parliament for now. This Senate is planned to have 89
members, a number of whom are appointed by the President based on set criteria and
the rest appointed by local government officials, all members serving 6-year terms. The
chamber would have a President of the Senate elected in the same way as the President
of the Assembly but who would take precedence over the President of the Assembly if
the President of the Nation were to be deemed incapable.
The National Assembly is overlooked and directed by a President of the Assembly who is
elected by members at the start of the legislature after legislative elections, the President
of Assembly is elected by absolute majority, if none of the people standing get an
absolute majority then a 2nd round is held between the top two which is won by simple
majority, a person can only serve a max of two legislative terms as President of the
Assembly. The President of the Assembly moderates and regulates debate and makes
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7. sure that assembly rules are followed and can be consulted by the President of the
Nation. A vote of three-fifths of the assembly can remove the President of the Assembly
for incompetence.
The National Assembly gives authorization to a declaration of war. State of Siege being
extended beyond 15-days must have consent from the National Assembly.
The National Assembly can bring a motion of censure against the government which if
passed the President will remove the Prime Minister and appoint a new one. When a
Prime Minister is removed all of Cabinet is also out.
The National Assembly elects’ deputies to the High Court of Justice. Magistrates are
designated by the President of the Court of Cassation. The President and Government
are accountable to the High Court of Justice.
The President of the Nation can be impeached by a four-fifth vote of the National
Assembly. A member of government can be impeached by a vote of two-thirds.
Electoral System
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8. Public Domain
Presidential elections happen every 5-years and is won by an absolute majority of all
votes cast, if no candidate reaches that majority then a 2nd round is held between the
top two candidate which is won by simple majority. A single person can only serve a max
of two-terms as President (10-years).
Candidates for President must have citizenship from birth, be at least 35-years old but no
older than 75-years.
Legislative elections happen every 5-years and 111 members are elected from multi-seat
electoral provinces and the other 16 members are elected from a national constituency.
Members are elected using a proportional representation system, which means just as
long as a party reaches a specified quota of the vote within a province or nationally, they
are guaranteed seats in the National Assembly. Votes in the election are transferable.
The number of members in each province number anywhere from 2-9 members and is
based on population levels, the law can change the number of members in the National
Assembly and amend provincial and national representatives accordingly in relation to
population changes.
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9. There appears to be no requirements of candidates for the National Assembly stated in
the constitution and so it appears this aspect is entirely controlled by laws passed by the
National Assembly.
After legislative elections the Prime Minister is appointed by the President from the
largest party/group.
Voters must have citizenship of Burkina Faso and be at least 18-years old to vote. Voting
is not mandatory.
Source
The information for this was sourced from the Burkina Faso 1991 constitution with
amendments through to 2015 and so it should be as accurate as possible but it is
important to cross-check information if you are using this in a serious capacity as the
possibility remains that I may have mis-interpreted some parts and of course the
constitution can be amended meaning this post may eventually become outdated.
Constitutional amendments can be proposed by the President, a majority of members
from the National Assembly or by at least 30,000 eligible voters who have signed a
petition and sent it to the National Assembly. A three-fourths majority vote in the
National Assembly is required to pass a constitutional amendment although if this fails it
can instead be referred to a national referendum.
Certain bits of information from the Burkina Faso CIA World Factbook entry including on
how the constitution can be amended.
Next up will be the small African nation of Burundi which is the final B country before we
reach the Cs!
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