Ahead of definitive presidential and parliamentary elections set to take place in Burkina Faso, the presence of extremist groups seem to be disrupting the voter registration process in some parts of the country, disenfranchising eligible voters as campaigns kick-off.
Heavy Campaigning Officially Starts
The election organising body in Burkina Faso, the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), launched campaigns for election candidates on Friday, October 30th in the capital of Ouagadougou, ahead of the November 22 general elections.
In his launching statement, the Chairman of the Commission, Newton Ahmed Barry, revealed that over 94 per cent of the 351 communes in the country had been registered to vote at the polls.
The 21-day campaign period will see 13 candidates, including the incumbent president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who has been in power since 2015, competing for the presidential seat, while 10,652 candidates will run for the primary elections.
Disenfranchisement Of Voters And Conflict In The Region
According to Voice of America, more than 400,000 displaced by armed conflict in Burkina Faso will be unable to cast their votes in the upcoming elections due to a lack of access to registration.
Violence linked to jihadist groups, defence militias and government forces have displaced more than one million people in Burkina Faso––the vast majority since early last year––and left millions more hungry.
Although the Electoral Commission has continued to state that more than half of eligible voters in the county have been accounted for, it has assured voters through its spokesman, Yacouba Ouedraogo that people in unsafe communities can travel to register elsewhere and still vote. Adding that while he does not know the reason why most voters have refused to register, the Commission will take in anyone who comes to the polling unit with their required information.
What does the Law Say?
A controversial new law was passed by parliament in August stating that votes will be counted irrespective of people’s ability to access polling stations on November 22.
