Burkina Faso junta dissolves electoral commission, assumes control of elections

Burkina Faso’s military-led government has dissolved the country’s independent electoral commission, declaring it an unnecessary financial burden and bringing future elections under the control of the interior ministry.

State broadcaster RTB announced the move, stating that elections will now be managed by the ministry of territorial administration.

The decision is part of a broader series of reforms introduced since the military seized power in September 2022, including the postponement of elections meant to return the country to civilian rule.

A nationwide vote was initially scheduled for 2024, but the junta extended the democratic transition until July 2029.

This allows coup leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré to remain in office and potentially contest the next presidential election.

Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo justified the move by citing cost and sovereignty concerns, stating the electoral commission received an annual subsidy of approximately $870,000.

“Scrapping the commission strengthens our sovereign control over the electoral process and limits foreign influence,” he said.

Following the 2022 coup, the junta distanced itself from Burkina Faso’s former colonial power, France, and aligned more closely with Russia.

It claimed the previous civilian administration had failed to address escalating jihadist violence.

However, rights groups have accused the military of civilian abuses and cracking down on political dissent and media freedoms.

The effectiveness of its counter-insurgency efforts is also in question.

In the first half of 2025 alone, jihadist group JNIM claimed over 280 attacks in Burkina Faso—twice the number recorded in the same period in 2024, according to BBC-verified data.