June 19, 2013

Ruling party gets majority in legislative election

BY: AP Staff Writer DECEMBER 7, 2012 | MODIFIED: DECEMBER 7, 2012 AT 8:35 PM
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OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso's ruling party has won a majority in parliament.

The party has clinched 70 deputies in the 127-seat legislature in provisional results issued late Friday by the country's Independent Electoral Commission. The opposition alleged fraud, saying that the party of President Blaise Compaore actively bought votes.

Last Sunday's parliamentary election is being seen as a test for the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress, as well as for Compaore who has ruled this small, resource-poor nation since 1987. He faced the worst crisis of his long reign last year when renegade soldiers went on the rampage in military barracks throughout the country.

Opposition parties fear he will use his majority in parliament to amend the constitution in order to stay in power after the end of his term in 2015.

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