Burkina Faso names Zida interim prime minister

Burkina Faso's new interim president, Michel Kafando, selected a prime minister on Wednesday.

"The president of the transition decides that…Mr.Yacouba Isaac Zida is named prime minister," a decree by Kafando said, referring to Lieutenant Colonel Issac Zida.

Zida must now appoint a 25-member transitional government and aid President Michel Kafando in leading the country until elections can be held in November 2015.

The military leader had originally assumed power in late October after popular protests forced the country's longtime leader, Blaise Compaore, to step down.

However, international pressure and the threat of sanctions from the African Union prompted Zida to relinquish his self-proclaimed rule. Authorities in Burkina Faso subsequently began working toward installing an interim government.

The announcement of Zida's appointment came a day after Kafando was sworn in as interim president. A 23-person panel, which was comprised of representatives from the military, religious groups and the opposition, had selected the former foreign minister from five candidates on Monday.

Popular discontent with the leadership surged in the Burkina Faso capital of Ouagadougou in late October when Blaise Compaore, who had been in power for 27 years, attempted to alter the constitution so as to gain another term in office. His resignation was followed by several weeks of political unrest, with both the military and the opposition attempting to take power.

kms/ksb (AFP, Reuters)