In Burkina Faso, Alassane Balla Sakandé was elected President of the National Assembly on September 8. He replaces Salif Diallo, who died in Paris on August 19.
Alassane Balla Sakandé, 48, was formerly a member of parliament for Kadiogo Province and chairman of the parliamentary group Movement of the People for Progress (MPP). This former bank executive went through the union movements at the University and followed in 2014 those who resigned from the CDP (the Blaise Compaore party, editor’s note) to create the MPP.
Only candidate in the running, he is elected in replacement of Salif Diallo, who died on August 19, by 104 votes in « favor », 2 « against », 19 « abstentions » and 2 in « absentia » out of 127 voters. In Burkina Faso, « in the event of a vacancy in the Presidency of the National Assembly, pursuant to Articles 91, 92 or 93 of the Constitution, the National Assembly shall elect a new President within fifteen days of the vacancy if it is in session ».
The opposition decided not to nominate a candidate. « We felt it was a matter of continuing a mandate that was abruptly shortened. From that point on we felt it was normal that we could allow the majority to choose from amongst them the person who could continue the work of the winner against our candidate 20 months ago », Juliette Bonkoungou, member of parliament of the CDP.
Close to President Kaboré and his late predecessor, Salif Diallo, the term of Alassane Balla Sakandé runs until the end of the legislature, in 2020.
Sahelien.com