Burkina Faso Ends Suspension Of Constitution

Burkina Faso's interim president lieutenant-colonel Isaac Zida on Saturday declared the restoration of his country's constitution, which was suspended on October 31, following the downfall of the regime of ex-president Blaise Compaore.



Zida said in a statement that the suspension of the June 2/1991 constitution would be lifted from Saturday with the aim of starting Burkina Faso's transition.



Ending the suspension of the constitution would allow Burkina Faso's transitional council to finalize the transitional charter, which should be signed on Sunday.



When signed by the members of the council, the charter would regulate the work of state institutions under the next transitional government.



Burkina Faso's army, political parties, civil society organizations and religious leaders are expected to sign on Sunday an agreement on the transitional government formation.



The transitional charter, which was endorsed by the members of the transitional council on Thursday, calls for the formation of a national transitional council made of 90 members, including 30 from the opposition, 25 from the civil society, 25 from security agencies and police and ten members of the ex-president's party.



Burkina Faso descended into chaos in October after the country's ex-president, Blaise Compaore, proposed a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to seek another term in office.



In power since 1987, Compaore was ultimately forced to step down amid massive street protests against the amendment proposal. He has since moved with his family to the Ivory Coast.



On November 1, the Burkinabe army named Zida, the second-in-command in Compaore's presidential guard, new interim president.



The appointment drew the ire of the opposition, however, which asserted that Compaore had left office as the result of popular pressure rather than a military coup.



On Wednesday, West African heads of state agreed with Zida on a one-year transitional plan that would include free elections, an opposition source said Thursday.



The agreement calls for holding parliamentary and presidential polls by November of next year, he added.



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