Burkina Faso court rejects opposition presidential candidate News
Burkina Faso court rejects opposition presidential candidate

[JURIST] Burkina Faso’s Constitutional Council rejected opposition presidential candidate Eddie Constance Konboigo on Saturday ahead of the elections scheduled for October. Konboigo was head of ousted president Blaise Compaore’s Congress for Democracy and Progress party, and he was one of six candidates rejected [AFP report] on Saturday. The country is currently being run by a transitional government, with the first round of elections scheduled for October 11.

Compaore [BBC profile] resigned in October after massive protests erupted following his attempt to extend his 27-year rule [BBC report] through an amendment to the country’s constitution. The protests resulted in some deaths, and protesters set fire to government buildings. General Honore Traore took over after the ousting of Compaore, but many protesters saw him as being “too close” to the former president. The October elections will put an end [Al Jazeera report] to Traore’s transitional rule.