AFRICAN ELECTIONS DATABASE
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Elections in Burkina Faso
 
Political Profile
Political System: Emerging Democracy
President: Blaise Compaoré (CDP) [since 15 October 1987; seized power in 1987 military coup, elected 1991, re-elected 1998 and 2005] The President is elected by direct popular vote for a 5-year term. Electoral System: Two Round (Run-off).
Prime Minister: Tertius Zongo (CDP) [since 04 June 2007] The Prime Minister is appointed by the President with the consent of the legislature.
National Assembly [unicameral] (111 Seats) Members are elected by direct popular vote in multi-member constituencies (21 from one national constituency and 90 from 13 regional constituencies - 2 to 10 per region) using the party-list proportional representation system; members serve 5-year terms.
Political Situation since Independence
1960-1966 One Party State (UDV-RDA)
1966-1970 Military Regime
1970-1974 Restricted Democratic Practice
1974-1977 Military Regime
1977-1978 Multiparty Transition
1978-1980 Democracy
1980-1991 Military Regime
1991         Multiparty Transition
1991-2002 Restricted Democratic Practice
2002-        Emerging Democracy
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 5, Civil Liberties - 3, Status: Partly Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: 2010
Next Scheduled National Assembly Election: 2012
Political Parties: ADDP - Alliance for the Defense of Democracy and Progress, ADF - Alliance for Democracy and Federation (centrist), ADF-RDA - Alliance for Democracy and Federation-African Democratic Rally (centrist), AFC - Alliance of the Forces of Progress, APL - Alliance for Progress and Liberty, CDL - Convention for Democracy and Liberty, CDP - Congress for Democracy and Progress (far-left), CDS - Convergence for Social Democracy, CFD - Coalition of Democratic Forces, CFD - Convention for Federation and Democracy, CFD-B - Convention of the Democratic Forces of Burkina, CNDP - National Convention of Progressive Democrats, CNPP-PSD - National Convention of Progressive Patriots-Social Democratic Party, CPS - Sankarist Pan-African Convention (left-wing), FDS - Sankarist Democratic Front, FFS - Social Forces Front, FNS - National Salvation Front, FPC-Yelemani - Patriotic Front for Change-Yelemani, FR-RDA - Refusers' Front of the African Democratic Rally, GDP - Group of Patriotic Democrats, LCB - Citizens League of Builders, L'Espoir - Convergence of Hope, MDP - Movement of Progressive Democrats, MDR - Movement for Democracy and Rebirth, MDS - Movement for Social Democracy, MDV - Voltaic Democratic Movement, MNL - National Liberation Movement (left-wing), MPJD - Patriotic Movement of Young Democrats, MPS-PF - People’s Movement for Socialism-Federal Party, MTP - Movement for Tolerance and Progress, NDS - New Social Democracy, ODDN - Pro-Democratic Organization for the Defense of Nature, ODP-MT - Organization for People's Democracy-Labor Movement, ODT - Organization for Democracy and Labor, PAI - African Independence Party, PAREN - Party for National Rebirth, PBR - Burkinabe Party for Recasting, PDP [PDP-PS] - Party for Democracy and Progress/Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party (left-wing, social-democratic), PDS - Party for Democracy and Socialism, PEDB - Ecological Party for the Development of Burkina, PFID - Party of Independent Forces for Development, PLB - Burkinabe Liberal Party, PNA - New Alliance Party, PNR-JV - National Republican Party-Right Path, PPA - African Progressive Party, PPRN - Party of Progress for National Renewal, PRA - African Regrouping Party, PSB - Burkinabe Socialist Party, RDA - African Democratic Rally (centrist), PSU - Unified Socialist Party, RDB - Rally for the Development of Burkina, RDEB - Rally of the Ecologists of Burkina, RDF - Rally of Democrats for Faso, RFI-PJB - Rally of Independent Forces-Party of the Youth of Burkina, RPC - Citizen's Popular Rally, RPP-Gwasigi - Rally for Popular Prosperity-Gwasigi, UDD - Union for Democracy and Development, UDF - Democratic Union of Faso, UDPI - Union of Democrats and Independent Progressives, UDPS - Union for Democracy and Social Progress, UDV-RDA - Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally, UFP - Union of Progressive Forces, UFR - Union of Forces for Renewal, UNDD - National Union for the Defense of Democracy, UNDP - National Union for Democracy and Progress, UNI - National Union of Independents, UNIR-MS - Union for Rebirth-Sankarist Movement (left-wing), UPR - Union for the Republic, UPS - Union of Sankarist Parties, UPV - Voltaic Progressive Union (left-wing), USB - Social Union of Burkina, USD - Union of Social Democrats, USDI - Union of Independent Social Democrats, UVDB - Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina.
Coalitions: Popular Front (FP) [Contested the 1992 Assembly of People’s Deputies Election] Led by President Compaoré’s Organization for People's Democracy-Labor Movement (ODP-MT). Other parties included the African Independence Party (PAI), Burkinabe Socialist Party (PSB), Movement of Progressive Democrats (MDP), Movement for Social Democracy (MDS), and Union of Social Democrats (USD); Presidential Movement Alliance (AMP) [Supported Blaise Compaoré in the 2005 Presidential Election] Member parties include the Alliance for the Defense of Democracy and Progress (ADDP), Alliance of the Forces of Progress (AFC), Alliance for Progress and Liberty (APL), Convention for Democracy and Liberty (CDL), Convention for Federation and Democracy (CFD), National Salvation Front (FNS), Movement of Progressive Democrats (MDP), Patriotic Movement of Young Democrats (MPJD), New Social Democracy (NDS), Organization for Democracy and Labor (ODT), Pro-Democratic Organization for the Defense of Nature (ODDN), Ecological Party for the Development of Burkina (PEDB), Burkinabe Liberal Party (PLB), New Alliance Party (PNA), Party of Progress for National Renewal (PPRN), Rally of Independent Forces-Party of the Youth of Burkina (RFI-PJB), Rally for the Development of Burkina (RDB), Democratic Union of Faso (UDF), National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), Union for the Republic (UPR), Social Union of Burkina (USB), and the Rally for Popular Prosperity-Gwasigi (RPP-Gwasigi); Socialist Alliance (AS) [Supported Pargui Emile Paré in the 2005 Presidential Election] Member parties include the People's Movement for Socialism-Federal Party (MPS-FP) and the Unified Socialist Party (PSU).
 
Election Results
 
 
Presidential
--Single Party: 1965
--Multiparty: 1978, 1991, 1998, 2005
Legislative
--Single Party: 1965
--Multiparty: 1959, 1970, 1978, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007
Constitutional Referenda: 1959, 1970, 1977, 1991
Municipal: 2006
 
 
15 March 1959 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Parliamentary System of Government, unicameral legislature 

Registered Voters

 1,957,732

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,344,932 (68.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     71,753

Total Valid Votes

 1,273,179

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

1,018,936

80.03%

"No" Votes

254,243

19.97%

 
30 March 1959 Territorial Assembly Election*

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Number of Seats (75)

African Democratic Rally (RDA)

64

African Progressive Party (PPA)

07

Voltaic Democratic Movement (MDV)

04

*In December 1959, the Territorial Assembly was renamed National Assembly.
 
Single Party Elections
Sole Legal Party: Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally (UDV-RDA)

03 October 1965 Presidential Election (Maurice Yaméogo re-elected unopposed with 99.9% of the vote)

07 November 1965 National Assembly Election (75 Seats)

Note: Maurice Yaméogo was unanimously elected president by the National Assembly on 08 December 1960.
 
14 June 1970 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Presidential Republic, President can rule by decree and dissolve parliament; The constitution provided that General Sangoulé Lamizana remain President of the Republic for 4 years

Registered Voters

 2,351,258

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,817,341 (77.3%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     34,580

Total Valid Votes

 1,782,761

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

1,757,004

98.56%

"No" Votes

25,757

01.44%

 
20 December 1970 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

 2,395,226

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,156,697 (48.3%)

Party

Number of Seats (57)

Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally (UDV-RDA)

37

African Regrouping Party (PRA)

12

National Liberation Movement (MNL)

06

Independents

02

 
27 November 1977 Constitutional Referendum*
Main Points: Presidential Republic, Maximum of three political parties

Registered Voters

 2,759,924

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,972,077 (71.5%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

       1,446

Total Valid Votes

 1,952,969 

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

1,927,691

98.70%

"No" Votes

25,278

01.30%

*The results are based on 1,557 of the 2,991 polling stations.
 
30 April 1978 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

 2,887,550

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,161,824 (40.2%)

Party

Number of Seats (57)

Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally (UDV-RDA)

28

National Union for the Defence of Democracy (UNDD)

13

Voltaic Progressive Union (UPV)

09

African Regrouping Party (PRA)

06

National Union of Independents (UNI)

01

 
May 1978 Presidential Election
First Round (14 May 1978)

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Second Round (28 May 1978)

Registered Voters

 Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (43.6%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

 1,264,678

Candidate (Party)

First Round

Second Round

% of Votes

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Sangoulé Lamizana

41%

711,722

56.28%

Macaire Ouédraogo (UNDD)

N/A

552,956

43.72%

Joseph Ki-Zerbo (UPV)

N/A

-

-

Joseph Ouédraogo (FR-RDA)

N/A

-

-

 
02 June 1991 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Presidential Republic, bicameral legislature, presidential may serve two 7-year terms

Registered Voters

 3,403,451

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,972,077 (48.8%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     39,529

Total Valid Votes

 1,620,792

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

1,504,653

92.83%

"No" Votes

116,139

06.17%

 
01 December 1991 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (25.3%)

Candidate (Party)

% of Votes

Blaise Compaoré (ODP-MT)

86%

*The opposition boycotted the election.
 
24 May 1992 Assembly of People’s Deputies Election

Registered Voters

 3,727,843

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,260,107 (33.8%)

Party/[Coalition]

Number of Seats (107)

Popular Front [FP]

84

 

Organization for People's Democracy-Labor Movement (ODP-MT)

  

78

African Independence Party (PAI)

02

Burkinabe Socialist Party (PSB)

01

Movement of Progressive Democrats (MDP)

01

Movement for Social Democracy (MDS)

01

Union of Social Democrats (USD)

01

Opposition Parties

23

 

National Convention of Progressive Patriots-Social Democratic Party (CNPP-PSD)

  

12

African Democratic Rally (RDA)

06

Alliance for Democracy and Federation (ADF)

04

Union of Independent Social Democrats (USDI)

01

 
11 May 1997 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

 4,985,352 

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,220,161 (44.5%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   108,183

Total Valid Votes

 2,111,978

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (111)*

Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP)

1,449,082

68.61%

101

Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP)

213,620

10.11%

06

Alliance for Democracy and Federation (ADF)

156,325

7.40%

02

African Democratic Rally (RDA)

136,006

6.44%

02

Others

156,945

7.43%

-

*After the election in May, fresh balloting was held on 19 June 1997 in four constituencies where the Supreme Court had dismissed earlier results because of irregularities. The CDP, which had won 97 seats in May, secured all 4 seats, raising its total to 101.
 
15 November 1998 Presidential Election*

Registered Voters

 4,210,134

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,361,294 (56.1%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     97,001

Total Valid Votes

 2,264,293

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Blaise Compaoré (CDP)

1,981,713

87.52%

Ram Ouédraogo (UVDB)

149,650

6.61%

Fredéric Guima (FR-RDA)

132,930

5.87%

*Boycotted by the major opposition parties
 
05 May 2002 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

 2,913,219  

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,868,645 (64.1%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   144,581

Total Valid Votes

 1,724,064

Party

% of Votes

Number of Seats (111)

Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP)

49.5%

57

Alliance for Democracy and Federation-African Democratic Rally (ADF-RDA)

12.7%

17

Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party (PDP)

7.5%

10

Coalition of Democratic Forces (CFD)

4.4%

05

African Independence Party (PAI)

3.6%

05

Party for National Rebirth (PAREN)

2.7%

04

Sankarist Pan-African Convention (CPS)

2.6%

03

Union for Rebirth-Sankarist Movement (UNIR-MS)

2.4%

03

National Convention of Progressive Democrats (CNDP)

2.0%

02

Party for Democracy and Socialism (PDS)

1.7%

02

Alliance for Progress and Liberty (APL)

0.7%

01

Patriotic Front for Change-Yelemani (FPC-Yelemani)

0.5%

01

Union of Democrats and Independent Progressives (UDPI)

0.4%

01

 
13 November 2005 Presidential Election [Results by Region]

Registered Voters

 3,924,328

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,262,899 (57.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   196,629

Total Valid Votes

 2,066,270

Candidate (Party) [Coalition]

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Blaise Compaoré (CDP) [AMP]*

1,660,148

80.35%

Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara (UNIR-MS)**

100,816

4.88%

Laurent Bado (PAREN)

53,743

2.60%

Philippe Ouédraogo (PDS)**

47,146

2.28%

Ram Ouédraogo (RDEB)

42,061

2.04%

Ali Lankoandé (PDP-PS)

35,949

1.74%

Norbert Michel Tiendrébéogo (FFS)**

33,353

1.61%

Soumane Touré (PAI)

23,266

1.13%

Gilbert Bouda (PBR)

21,658

1.05%

Pargui Emile Paré [AS]

17,998

0.87%

Hermann Yaméogo (UNDD)***

15,685

0.76%

Toubé Clément Dakio (UDD)

7,741

0.37%

Nayabtigungu Congo Kaboré (MTP)

6,706

0.32%

*In addition to being the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) party candidate along with the additional support of the 22-party Presidential Movement Alliance (AMP), Blaise Compaoré received the support of two other parties - the Alliance for Democracy and Federation-African Democratic Rally (ADF-RDA) and the Rally of Democrats for Faso (RDF).
**A number of candidates received the support of parties other than their own, although formal coalitions were not created. They are:
-Bénéwendé Sankara - Sankarist Democratic Front (FDS)
-Philippe Ouédraogo - Convergence for Social Democracy (CDS) and the Union of Progressive Forces (UFP)
-Norbert Tiendrébéogo - Convergence of Hope (L'Espoir)
***Hermann Yaméogo withdrew from the election in late October 2005, but his name remained on the ballot and he garnered votes. Prior to his withdrawal, he had received the support of nine political parties in addition to the National Union for the Defense of Democracy (UNDD). They were the National Convention of Progressive Democrats (CNDP), Patriotic Front for Change-Yelemani (FPC-Yelemani), Group of Patriotic Democrats (GDP), Citizens League of Builders (LCB), Movement for Democracy and Rebirth (MDR), Party of Independent Forces for Development (PFID), National Republican Party-Right Path (PNR-JV), Union of Democrats and Independent Progressives (UDPI), and the Union of Forces for Renewal (UFR). It is unclear if these parties chose to endorse other candidates after Yaméogo withdrew.
 
06 May 2007 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,259,263 (56.7%)

Party

Number of Seats (111)

Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP)

73

Alliance for Democracy and Federation-African Democratic Rally (ADF-RDA)

14

Union for the Republic (UPR)

05

Union for Rebirth-Sankarist Movement (UNIR-MS)

04

Convention of the Democratic Forces of Burkina (CFD-B)

03

Union of Sankarist Parties (UPS)

02

Party for Democracy and Progress/Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party (PDP-PS)

02

Rally for the Development of Burkina (RDB)

02

Party for Democracy and Socialism (PDS)

02

Party for National Rebirth (PAREN)

01

African Independence Party (PAI)

01

Citizen’s Popular Rally (RPC)

01

Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS)

01