Burkina: Kaboré's party calls for his release and the return to constitutional order
Clément Sawadogo, 1st vice-president of the presidential party, MPP and former Minister of Security in Burkina Faso.
RFI/Carine Frank
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
Meeting this Wednesday, January 26 in Ouagadougou, the political office of the People's Movement for Progress (MPP) denounces a complete questioning of all the institutional arrangements of the Republic and of fiercely acquired democracy.
The party appeals to all its activists and supporters, to all democrats, to seek a solution to the situation in Burkina Faso.
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With our correspondent in Ouagadougou,
Yaya Boudani
The meeting lasted about two hours, at the party headquarters, in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou.
No particular security device was in place.
For the leaders of the People's Movement for Progress (MPP), the resignation of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was obtained under pressure.
And
this coup d'etat
calls into question all the democratic gains since the popular uprising of 2014.
"
He himself did not stand up freely and say 'given such and such parameters, I hand over power to the people.'
It is not a resignation voluntarily thought out, consented to, pronounced by the person concerned, it is a situation of obligation, of constraint, it is a pure and hard classic coup d'etat
”, protests Clément Sawadogo, first vice - President of the MPP.
MPP officials demand the unconditional release of the deposed president and that of any detained personalities.
“
Naturally, one party cannot agree with this situation and that is why we condemn this coup and continue to demand the return to normal constitutional order.
Because it is still a dearly acquired democracy.
»
The leaders of the People's Movement for Progress say they are closely monitoring the development of the situation.
But it will not be a question of calling on their militants to take to the streets.
This could lead to a bloodbath, says Clément Sawadogo.
Civil society also demands constitutional order
Professor Abdoulaye Soma, president of the opposition party Soleil d'Avenir, believes for his part that there is a need to quickly put in place a political transition.
He participated in the establishment of political bodies in 2014 and was appointed expert for the United Nations in Mali, also to help in the establishment of the political transition.
Today he says he is “
sorry
” but “
pragmatic
” and already foresees the possibility of a transition “
in suitable terms
”.
“
I'm sorry first because the advent of a deplorable coup.
But I am pragmatic because the situation is already recorded.
The absolute priority is the return to normal constitutional and democratic order.
Obviously, as we are in the context of a coup d'etat, the current authorities would have to quickly state their intentions.
I am convinced that we have to go through a transition.
The last time, we managed to start the transition a fortnight after the 2014 coup. I'm in for a quick consultation.
»
►
To read also: Burkina Faso: supporters of the putschists demonstrate in Ouagadougou
On the civil society side, a new coalition has emerged and brings together the Balai Citoyen, the League of Pan-Africanists and also associations in the Kaya region has been created in recent hours.
Priority for these militants: the return to constitutional order and a real policy to counter the advance of armed jihadist groups.
Serge Bambara, alias Smockey, founding member of Balai Citoyen, is one of the spokespersons for this coalition.
We regret that we had to go through this to hope for a change for the people of Burkina Faso.
The old regime succeeded through its poor governance in tormenting us between the fact of being Democrats and Republicans and the observation of a coup [...] We believe that force should remain with the law and the law.
But we must analyze with caution and wisdom the difficult situation that the Burkinabè had to go through during this six-year period of calamitous governance [...] The priorities are first of all the return to normal constitutional order, a new work on the entire security of our country [...] and it is also the preservation of the achievements of the popular insurrection dear to all the people of Burkina Faso [...] But it is necessary to
Serge Bambara
Guillaume Thibault
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