Democracy is on the line in Burkina Faso. What happens there over the next few weeks and months may determine whether democracy continues on its positive trajectory across sub-Saharan Africa or whether it stalls or begins to slowly unravel and collapse. Those states in the international community that follow democratic norms need to speak out clearly against African leaders who seek to change their government structures in order to remain in power indefinitely. For the past week, tens of thousands of people in Burkina Faso have taken to the streets of their capital, Ouagadougou, to protest a planned parliamentary vote to alter the country's democratic constitution, which would allow President Blaise Compaoré to remain in power for another term. Compaoré, a former solider, came to power nearly three decades ago in a military coup d'état in 1987. Since abandoning his uniform and opening the door to multiparty politics and constitutional rule, Compaoré has been elected five times as the country's president, and until recently said that he would abide by the country's new constitution and step down at the end of his current term which ends in 2015. However, with the next elections fast approaching and his thirst for power still [...]
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