Burkina Faso: Mediators Propose November Election | Wall Street Journal

Mediators in Burkina Faso’s political crisis proposed new and more inclusive elections in November, though the military that seized power in a coup last week indicated Sunday it still wants its general to lead the country during any transitional period. That could prove to be a serious sticking point after a draft agreement was released late Sunday following two days of talks led by the presidents of Senegal and Benin. The proposed plan will be taken up Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria, by West African member states of the regional bloc known as ECOWAS. Senegalese President Macky Sall, who helped lead the weekend talks, said the draft was the result of discussions with all parties. “We have two ways out here: The first one is through peace…that will lead to an end of the crisis through fair and democratic elections,” Mr. Sall said, adding that the other route would lead to “chaos.”
The turmoil began Wednesday when the military arrested Burkina Faso’s interim president and prime minister and then installed a military general as head of state a day later. The power grab less than a month before national elections prompted the African Union to suspend Burkina Faso and the international community to condemn the coup.
Mediators had expressed optimism about their progress over the weekend, but on Sunday a junta representative said the coup leaders still wanted Gen. Gilbert Diendéré to remain in charge, a caveat unlikely to be accepted by other countries. Gen. Diendéré wasn’t in the room when the draft agreement was read.
Full Article: Burkina Faso Mediators Propose November Election – WSJ.