Burkina Faso’s military-led authorities have dissolved all political parties and annulled the laws guiding their operations, following the approval of a decree by the country’s council of ministers on Thursday. The move, carried out by the military government that took power in September 2022, represents a further consolidation of authority after political activities were suspended in the aftermath of the coup.
Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the action forms part of wider efforts to “rebuild the state,” citing long-standing abuses and dysfunction within the multiparty system. He explained that a government assessment concluded that the proliferation of political parties had deepened divisions and undermined national unity.
Prior to the coup, Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties, with 15 securing seats in parliament following the 2020 general elections.Under the new decree, all political parties and associations are formally dissolved. In addition, a bill repealing existing laws on party organisation, financing and the role of the opposition leader will be forwarded to the transitional council, according to the cabinet’s meeting records.
The decree also stipulates that all assets belonging to the dissolved parties will be handed over to the state.Burkina Faso, like its Sahel neighbours Mali and Niger, has faced persistent violence from Islamist insurgent groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions over the last decade.
Source: https://www.cnbcafrica.com/
