Burkina Faso: Prospect of a recomposition of the transitional legislative assembly
In Burkina Faso, following the national transition conference held on May 25, which granted the MPSR the mandate to extend the transition by five years, President Ibrahim Traoré began this five-year term on July 3, 2024, with impending changes. The new transition charter will introduce new provisions in Burkina Faso’s political sphere, specifically concerning the Assembly and the government.
The current Transitional Legislative Assembly is composed of 71 deputies: 20 designated by the head of state, 16 from the defense and security forces, 12 from civil society organizations, 13 representatives from the country’s regions, and 10 from political parties.
This structure will change in this five-year term. According to the Minister in charge of relations with institutions, Me Rodrigue Bayala, Article 14 of the amended charter eliminates the quota previously allocated to the four political components: the former majority, the former leader of the political opposition, the former unaffiliated opposition (ONA), and other political parties.
During the conference, it was decided that henceforth, 12 seats would be allocated to political parties and groups as a whole. “There are no more components such as former majority, former opposition, other parties, and ONA. Naturally, the entry into force of this amended article on July 2 could lead to a reconfiguration of the Transitional Legislative Assembly” ,said Minister Bayala.
It is worth noting that increasing the number of seats in the ALT was one of the recommendations from participants at the national transition conference, considering certain components that were not included. This increase affects not only the ALT but also the government by adjusting some ministerial positions for greater efficiency given the current challenges and priorities.
