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The ruling junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has introduced a series of sweeping reforms, including the postponement of national elections originally scheduled for 2024
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Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso’s military-led government has disbanded the country’s electoral commission, declaring it a financial burden and asserting full control over the management of future elections. The announcement was made via state-run RTB Television, which reported that the Ministry of the Interior will now oversee all electoral processes. The move marks a significant shift in the country’s governance as the military consolidates its grip on power.
According to Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo, the electoral commission was being subsidized at an annual cost of approximately $870,000 (around £650,000). Zerbo justified the move, saying that scrapping the commission would “reinforce our sovereign control over the electoral process and at the same time limit foreign influences.”
The ruling junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, came to power in September 2022 following a coup that ousted the civilian government. Since then, it has introduced a series of sweeping reforms, including the postponement of national elections originally scheduled for 2024. In 2023, the junta extended the country’s transition period to civilian rule until July 2029, allowing Traoré to stay in power and making him eligible to run in future presidential elections.
Critics say the abolition of the electoral commission further erodes democratic processes in a country that has seen multiple coups in recent years. The junta has also distanced itself from former colonial power France, instead strengthening ties with Russia, a shift accompanied by heightened scrutiny of the regime’s human rights record.
Rights groups accuse the military of targeting civilians, curbing freedom of expression, and suppressing political opposition, particularly under the guise of fighting Islamist insurgents.
However, questions remain over the military’s effectiveness in handling the country’s deteriorating security situation. The jihadist group JNIM (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) claimed responsibility for more than 280 attacks in Burkina Faso in the first half of 2025—double the number recorded in the same period in 2024, according to data verified by the BBC.
As Burkina Faso moves forward under firm military control, international observers and civil society groups continue to express concern over the country’s democratic backsliding and growing instability.
SOURCE: BBC
Read Original Story Here: Burkina Faso military rulers scrap electoral commission, taking control of future polls
