Roch Marc Kabore
was proclaimed the winner of the presidential election in Burkina Faso and will
become the country's first new leader in decades, the Independent National
Electoral Commission said on Tuesday.
The election of the former prime
minister represents a pivotal moment for the West African nation, which has
been ruled by leaders who came to power in coups for most of its history since
independence from France in 1960.
Kabore served as prime minister
and head of the National Assembly under President BlaiseCompaore, who was
toppled by an uprising in October 2014 after 27 years in power. Kabore split
with Compaore early last year and formed an opposition party.
"My first thought is to
recognize the honor of this high office and to feel the weight of its great
responsibility," Kabore said in a speech to thousands of his supporters
after being declared winner.
Provisional results from
Sunday's election showed Kabore won 53.5 percent of the vote to defeat former
Finance Minister ZephirinDiabre, who scored 29.7 percent, and 12 other
candidates, the electoral commission said. Turnout was about 60 percent. The
outright majority means there will be no run-off.
"This election went off in
calm and serenity, which shows the maturity of the people of Burkina
Faso," BarthelemyKere, president of the electoral commission, told a news
conference.
Crowds celebrated the news in
the streets of the capital, Ouagadougou, honking car and motorbike horns.
Compaore seized power by force
and won four elections, all of which were disputed. He was toppled by protests
when he tried to change the constitution to extend his rule even further.
The vote could serve as an
example of democratic transition to other countries in Africa, where veteran
rulers in Burundi and Congo Republic changed the constitution this year to pave
the way for a fresh term in office.
Kabore heads the Movement of People
for Progress (MPP), made up of disaffected former allies of Compaore.
Many people say their priority
is for the new president to promote economic growth in the landlocked country,
which produces gold and cotton but remains impoverished. Corruption and justice
are also important issues.
The election was pushed back
from Oct. 11 because of an abortive coup in September by members of the elite
presidential guard, in which transitional President Michel Kafando and his
prime minister were taken hostage.
That coup cost more than $50
million in revenue, trimming growth by 0.3 percentage point. The guard has
since been disbanded.
Kafando will step down once the
results are confirmed by the constitutional court and the new leader is sworn
in. A parallel election for the National Assembly also took place on Sunday.
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