Burkina Faso Dissolves Old Election Commission to Safeguard Sovereignty

Key Highlights:

• Burkina Faso’s military government passed a law on July 17 dissolving the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). The move transfers CENI’s election-management duties to the Interior Ministry.
• Officials say the change will save money and cut out foreign meddling. Minister Emile Zerbo noted that CENI had been “subsidised with nearly half a billion CFA francs each year,” a costly burden. He argued the reform strengthens national “sovereign control” of elections and limits outside influence.
• The decision follows an earlier extension of the political transition. A new charter adopted in 2024 already allows Captain Ibrahim Traoré to remain in office until 2029. Elections originally planned for 2023–2024 have been postponed under the junta’s roadmap.

Burkina Faso’s Capt. Ibrahim Traoré (shown) has led sweeping reforms since last year’s coup. He and his ministers emphasize that abolishing the costly, donor-funded election commission is a sovereign step, replacing it with a leaner, nationally controlled system.

Sovereignty and Reform

Since seizing power in September 2022, Capt. Traoré’s junta has pursued a nationalist agenda. Officials have expelled French forces and aligned with new partners, arguing that these moves enhance Burkina Faso’s independence. In this spirit, the government announced on July 17 that it would abolish the CENI, calling it a “budget-consuming” relic of the past. In a cabinet session, Minister Emile Zerbo explained that the commission’s nearly 500 million CFA franc annual budget (about $870,000) was unsustainable. He said the country will now organize elections under the Interior Ministry instead. Zerbo insisted the reform will yield a “more sovereign and streamlined electoral process,” cutting ties to external funding and influence.

Burkina Faso’s state media (RTB) confirmed that future votes will be run by the Interior Ministry, not the old commission. Supporters of the move say it frees Burkina Faso from foreign-dominated institutions and colonial-era arrangements. In the junta’s view, dissolving CENI is a bold reform: it eliminates an expensive bureaucracy and reasserts national control over elections. As one official put it, this change is “necessary to reinforce our sovereign control on the electoral process”. (CENI had been created in 1998 as a political compromise, but the transitional government now deems it out of step with its 2024 Charter and costly to maintain.)

Extended Transition to 2029

These changes come on the heels of a longer transition period. During national consultations in 2024, Burkina Faso’s leaders agreed to extend the country’s political transition to mid-2029, delaying elections by five years. The original plan had been to hold democratic elections by mid-2024, but Capt. Traoré and his supporters argued that a fragile security situation (with ongoing jihadist insurgency) made a quick vote impossible. As a result, a new charter now governs the state until July 2029. This guarantees that Traoré will stay in power through that date.

Under the revised timetable, any future elections will be organized under the new system—presumably after the country’s security forces have dealt with rebel threats. Until then, the Interior Ministry (under Traoré’s control) will manage the entire electoral process. The junta’s backers argue that concentrating authority in this way will avoid delays and confusion in troubled times. They point out that the old CENI was often funded and supported by foreign donors, so replacing it with direct government oversight ensures consistency.

Critics’ Concerns

• Authoritarian Consolidation: Observers warn the dissolution could entrench military rule. Critics note that abolishing CENI removes one of the few remaining independent checks on elections. As BusinessDay Nigeria reports, opponents worry this “further entrenches authoritarian rule and delays the nation’s return to democracy”.
• Delayed Democracy: The timing raises fears that civilian rule is being pushed farther out. National elections originally slated for mid-2023 (then 2024) have already been postponed under the junta’s extended timeline. With Traoré guaranteed power until 2029, critics say ordinary Burkinabè may not vote for president or parliament for another half-decade.
• Crackdown on Freedoms: Rights groups point out that the security campaign accompanies these political changes. Human-rights monitors accuse the government of using counterinsurgency as a pretext to silence dissent. In recent years the junta has been blamed for abuses against civilians and for sharply curtailing the press and opposition parties. Critics warn that with even election oversight gone, it will be harder for citizens to hold leaders accountable.
• Regional Isolation: Burkina Faso has already distanced itself from West African bodies. It withdrew from ECOWAS and expelled many French diplomats this year, citing sovereignty. Some analysts fear that ending the CENI will widen the rift with international partners. ECOWAS and Western governments, which have been critical of the coup government, are likely to view this as another step away from democratic norms.

Looking Ahead

The junta presents these reforms as a revolutionary break from the past – cutting waste and foreign dependency to rebuild a stronger Burkina Faso under Traoré’s leadership. Many of Traoré’s supporters applaud this narrative of national rebirth. Nonetheless, even some sympathetic analysts acknowledge the trade-off: a more centralized system may be efficient, but it weakens institutional checks. As one observer notes, these changes “signal a deeper shift away from democratic governance,” even while promising future stability.

In coming months, how these reforms play out will be telling. If security improves, the junta may be able to argue its reforms were justified. If unrest persists, critics say the opposition may grow louder. For now, however, the regime has locked in its 2029 horizon. Burkina Faso’s people – and the world – will watch to see whether this consolidation of power truly leads to stronger, more independent institutions, or merely prolongs military rule under the banner of “sovereignty”.

Eye Africa News welcomes these recent rapid positive developments in the Alliance of Sahel sts

Sources: Official statements and reporting from international news outlets. (AP News, Business Insider Africa, Africanews, BusinessDay, etc.)