Burkina Faso to hold presidential vote in October: interim government

Reuters
Burkina Faso President Michel Kafondo (R) and Prime Minister Isaac Zida (L) arrive at a memorial service for six people who died during the recent popular uprising in Ouagadougou, December 2, 2014. REUTERS/Joe Penney

OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Burkina Faso will hold presidential and legislative elections on Oct. 11, a year after the West African state's long-ruling President Blaise Compaore was ousted by mass protests, the interim government said on Thursday. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in the capital Ouagadougou last October to protest against Compaore's efforts to change the constitution to allow him to stand for re-election in 2015. The military then briefly seized power after Compaore quit and fled the poor, cotton-producing country. "If there are no incidents or accidents, and if the elections proceed normally, we will inaugurate those who will replace us in November 2015," interim President Michel Kafando told reporters. Under Burkina Faso's transitional charter, no ministers within the current government are authorised to run for president in October.