The ruling military authorities in Burkina Faso have approved a decree dissolving all political parties and organizations and abolishing the legal framework governing their activities, following a decision issued by the Council of Ministers in the West African country.
The move, taken by the military leadership that seized power in September 2022, comes as part of a broader effort to tighten control over the political landscape, after political activities had been suspended in the aftermath of the coup.
Interior Minister Émile Zerbo said the decision falls within a wider process of “rebuilding the state,” arguing that the multiparty system had been marked by widespread abuses and structural imbalances. He added that a government review concluded that the proliferation of political parties had deepened divisions and weakened social cohesion.
Prior to the coup, Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties, 15 of which were represented in the parliament elected in 2020. The new decree stipulates the dissolution of all existing political parties and formations. It also provides for the submission of a bill to the current transitional council to repeal the basic laws regulating political parties, including their financing and the status of the leader of the opposition. Under the decision, all assets of the dissolved parties will be transferred to state ownership.