Burkina Faso begins counting, extremist threats pale voter turnout in presidential poll

As the counting of votes continues in Burkina Faso after Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections, threats of extremist violence prevented parts of the country from casting ballots. According to reports, the violent threats were linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State and prevented people from voting. 

While there were no reported incidents of major attacks, threats of violence prevented citizens from casting ballots in hard-hit parts of the country, i.e, in the North, Sahel, and East regions. According to an Associated Press report, Newton Ahmed Barry, president of the National Independent Electoral Commission, said that nearly 3,000 polling stations that were expected to open on Sunday remained shut and prevented up to 350,000 people from voting.

Meanwhile, the election workers began the counting of votes after polls closed by holding up the ballots for observers and marking the votes on a chalkboard beside the candidate's name. Preliminary results of the elections are expected within the next two days.

READ | Observers deployed at Burkina Faso polling stations

READ | Counting begins after polls close in Burkina Faso

 224 polling stations out of 335 didn’t open 

According to a report by a local organisation monitoring the elections CODEL, 224 polling stations out of 335 didn’t open. The organisation said it was concerned about the situation in areas weakened by insecurity.  While the local officials in the Sahel and Center North, the epi-centers of the violence said people were angry about not being able to vote. Meanwhile, some open polling stations had to close early due to security concerns.

In Markoye Commune in the Sahel’s Oudalan province, the polls closed three hours ahead of schedule, according to a post-election report from the West African Network of Peacebuilding.

According to an internal report from a local human rights group seen by the AP, fights between political activities in the West and Center North and attempts to influence the voting by supporters of candidates and political parties also surfaced. President of CODEL, Halidou Ouedraogo, said there were some areas in the east where no ballot paper was available and approximately 30 people voted on fake ballots that were detected and rectified.

READ | Voting starts in Burkina Faso presidential election

President Kabore promises to secure the country

Meanwhile, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has promised to secure the country and is competing for another five years against 12 other candidates in Burkina Faso. Kabore is expected to win, however, the opposition hopes to split the vote, depriving him of the 51 percent support needed for an outright victory in the first round. Then it plans to form a coalition behind the strongest opposition candidate for the second round, as per the AP report.

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(With agency inputs)