Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) - Despite large-scale protests against Burkina Faso's proposed new senate, a committee charged with reviewing the plan for the new legislative body concluded that the government should go ahead.
The 25-member committee said in its final report that they agree with setting up the new senate, but suggest the body should be reduced from 89 to 71 senators, of which 20 will be appointed by the president instead of 29. It means he would control 28 percent of the seats instead of 32 percent.
The committee was created by President Blaise Compaore after mass protests against the new body in July. Critics claim the senate will be used to change the country's term limits, in order to allow Compaore to run once his last term expires in 2015.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
