Analysts say it could be the most open and democratic vote in the country’s history.
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The election came after President Blaise Compaore’s resignation in October 2014 amid popular insurrection against his attempt to stand for a new term after 27 years on power.
Burkina Faso is holding presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, the first since a popular uprising previous year toppled the West African nation’s longtime leader and started a turbulent transition.
A transitional government was put in place until fresh elections could be held.
Staff at a polling station count ballots in the presence of observers from various organizations and political parties, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, November 29, 2015.
The authorities are deploying between 20,000 and 25,000 troops to ward off the threat of a jihadist attack, following two recent assaults against police barracks on the country’s long western border with troubled Mali. Kabore, 58, had served as prime minister and president of the National Assembly under Compaore.
Some 5.5 million people are registered to vote. “It’s the first time that I can be really sure that we won’t end up with Blaise Compaore”, said Ousmane Ouedraogo, as he cast his ballot in the capital Ouagadougou.
“We must show that civilians can rule the country, and bring it to normality”.
Fourteen candidates are standing for the presidency and reports suggest that Roch Marc Christian Kabore and Zephirin Diabre are the front-runners. The pro-Compaore CDP is still fielding candidates in the parliamentary elections and is expected to do well in parts of the country traditionally behind “Beau Blaise”.
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“I’m happy to have been able to vote”. But the coup, which lasted only a week, was the country’s sixth since it gained independence from France in 1960, putting Burkina Faso’s aspirations to succeed at democracy on a shaky footing. The interim government, however, repeatedly clashed with the presidential guard – an elite military unit loyal to Compaore, leading the a coup staged in September, during which the presidential guard took transitional President Michel Kafando and his prime minister hostage. Preliminary outcomes are expected to begin being formally announced on Monday.A candidate needs greater than 50 % of the vote to keep away from a runoff.
