OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Burkina Faso's ruling party and its allies secured a strong majority in this month's parliamentary election, official figures showed, a result that could allow the president to extend his rule beyond 2015.
Critics and allies have suggested an overwhelming majority in parliament could allow President Blaise Compaore, in power since 1987, to push through changes to the constitution that would allow him to stay on.
In 2000, Burkina Faso restricted presidents to two five-year terms but the constitutional court said the rule would only apply to Compaore after the end of his 2000-2005 term.
Compaore's CDP party secured 58 seats while allies in the broader coalition secured a further 22 seats in the Dec. 2 vote, according to results for 102 constituencies announced late on Thursday.
The results for a further 25 seats have not yet been announced but Compaore's majority has been secured despite the opposition UPC party winning 15 seats, a record for the opposition in the poor, land-locked nation.
Compaore has won four elections since he came to power in 1987 coup. The opposition has often complained that the polls were rigged but have yet to make that charge about the latest elections.
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