Burkina Faso to elect new president in November

(AGI) Ouagadougou, Sept 15 - Burkina Faso citizens will go tothe polls soon to elect their new president and members ofParliament, closing the transition period which began inOctober 2014 when President Blaise Campaore fled a nationalupheaval. An official communique states: "The council ofministers adopted a decree to call on the voters to go to thepolls on Nov. 29 for the first round of presidential electionsin Burkina Faso." Over 5.5 million are eligible to vote. Therewill be 14 presidential candidates, 4 of them independent.Citizens crowded the streets in riots when Campaore, 27 yearsin power, announced he would amend the constitution to remainin power, fixing elections for Oct.11. On Sept. 16 there was acoup d'etat, and the presidential security regiment, thePraetorians of Campaore, briefly overthrew the transitionpresident-in-office, Michel Kafando, and his Prime MinisterIsaac Zida. The army halted the coup and arrested GeneralGilbert Diendere, who led the rioters, urging the transitiondignitaries to return to their mandates. (AGI). .