Burkina Faso Releases Preliminary Election Results

The head of the country’s electoral commission disclosed on Monday that Burkina Faso should announce provisional election results on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference late on Sunday, Barthelemy Kere, president of the Independent National Electoral Commission, disclosed that there was a strong turnout in all 45 provinces and that logistical problems at the start of the day were by-and-large resolved, adding that the elections were peaceful.   The electoral commission has announced results for 21 communes, out of a total of 368 communes. The results show that Roch Marc Kabore is in the lead, with Zephirin Diabre in second.

On Sunday, Burkina Faso voted in an election to choose the West African country’s first new president in decades. On the ground sources have reported that people formed long lines at polling stations to vote for the president. Polls closed at 6 PM local time. A second round will be held if no candidate secures a majority. The country’s election commission has disclosed that over five million people are registered to vote, adding that it will publish preliminary results as soon as Monday. A successful election in Burkina Faso would effectively establish the country as a beacon for democratic aspirations in Africa, where veteran leaders in Burundi and Congo Republic have changed constitutions in a bid to pave the way for fresh terms in office. Furthermore, Sunday’s election also represents a turning point for the country, which, for most of its history since gaining independence from France in 1960, has been ruled by leaders who came to power in coups.