Authorities
in Burkina Faso named former foreign minister Michel Kafando as
transitional president in a key step towards guiding the West African
country to elections in the wake of a brief military takeover.
Kafando
was chosen as part of a charter hammered out after long time President
Blaise Compaore was toppled on October 31 following mass protests, only
to be replaced a day later Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida.
Kafando
will name a prime minister to appoint a 25-member government, but will
be barred from standing at elections planned for late next year.
“The
committee has just designated me to guide temporarily the destiny of
our country. This is more than an honour. It’s a true mission which I
will take with the utmost seriousness,” Kafando said on Monday.
Kafando
was preferred to the other candidates, which included journalist Cherif
Sy and sociologist and ex-minister Josephine Ouedraogo.
He was selected by a committee of 23 officials.
The
committee, drawn from the army, traditional and religious groups, civil
society and the political opposition, selected him from among five
candidates after a closed-door meeting that began on Sunday and went
into the early hours, witnesses said.
Kafando’s appointment will now have to be ratified by the Constitutional Council.
The
African Union gave Zida two weeks to re-establish civilian rule or face
sanctions and on Saturday he restored the constitution suspended when
Compaore was overthrown.
Compaore
was a regional power broker and a Western ally, but many opposed his
efforts to change the constitution that would have allowed him to stand
for re-election next year and extend his 27-year rule.
Kafando,
72, was also ambassador of Burkina Faso at the United Nations and for
one year president of the Security Council, one of several senior posts
he held during Compaore’s presidency.
His candidacy was proposed by the army.
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