Why Burkina Faso's transition offers lessons in how to manage a constitutional crisis

By Samson Mwin Sôg Mé Dabiré, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa, University of Pretoria

Constitutional government in Burkina Faso can be said to have begin with the proclamation of independence on 5 August 1960. This was soon followed by the constitutional referendum of 27 November 1960 which paved the way for the adoption of the new constitution.

This First Republic (1960-1966) was a presidential regime with aspects of a parliamentary system. There was also a strict separation of powers between the executive and the parliament. All subsequent republics, including the current Fourth Republic,…

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