The president of Burkina Faso () is the head of state of Burkina Faso as well as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso. It is the highest office in Burkina Faso and has significant executive power, including appointing the prime minister and other government officials. The president also has the power to dissolve parliament and issue decrees.
The office was first established in August 1960 as president of Upper Volta () after the country gained independence from France. Maurice Yaméogo was the first holder of that office. On 4 August 1984, the day before the 24th anniversary of independence, Thomas Sankara, who was the president from exactly one year earlier, became the president of Burkina Faso after the country changed its name the same day.
A total of seven people have served as president of Upper Volta/Burkina Faso (not counting four transitional heads of state/presidents and one acting president in rebellion).
The current interim president is Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, who took power during a coup d'état on 30 September 2022.
Term of office
The president is elected directly to a five-year term. Following amendments in the constitution in 2000, the president should serve no more than two terms even though the term limit has not been met by any president yet.
Titles
- 1960–1980: President of the Republic
- 1980–1982: President of Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress
- 1982: Chairman of Provisional Committee of Popular Salvation
- 1982–1983: Head of State
- 1983–1987: Chairman of National Revolutionary Council and Head of State
- 1987–1991: President of Popular Front and Head of State
- 1991–2014: President of the Republic
- 2015: Chairman of National Council for Democracy
- 2015–present: President of the Republic
- 2022–present: President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration
List of officeholders
;Political parties
;Other factions
;Status
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name<br>
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Political party
! rowspan="2" |Prime minister(s)
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! colspan="10" |Republic of Upper Volta
|-
| 1
| 90px
| Maurice Yaméogo<br>
| 1959<br>1965
| 1960
| 1966<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| UDV–RDA
| Position not established
|-
| 2
| 90px
| Sangoulé Lamizana<br>
| 1978
| 1966
| 1980<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military / <br>Independent
| Ouédraogo<br>Himself<br>Conombo
|-
| 3
| 90px
| Saye Zerbo<br>
| —
| 1980
| 1982<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Himself
|-
| 4
| 90px
| Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo<br>
| —
| 1982
| 1983<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Sankara
|-
| 5
| 90px
| Thomas Sankara<br>
| —
| 1983
| 1984
| year
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Position abolished
|-
! colspan="10" |Burkina Faso
|-
|
| 90px
| Thomas Sankara<br>
| —
| 1984
| 1987<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Position abolished
|-
| 6
| 90px
| Blaise Compaoré<br>
| 1991<br>1998<br>2005<br>2010
| 1987
| 2014<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| <br>
| Y. Ouédraogo<br>Kaboré<br>K. D. Ouédraogo<br>Yonli<br>Zongo<br>Tiao
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 90px
| Honoré Traoré<br><br>
| —
| 2014
| 2014
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Position vacant
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 90px
| Yacouba Isaac Zida<br>
| —
| 2014
| 2014
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military<br>
| Position vacant
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 90px
| Michel Kafando<br>
| —
| 2014
| 2015<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Independent
| Zida
|-
| –
| 90px
| Gilbert Diendéré<br>
| —
| 2015
| 2015<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military<br>
| Position vacant
|- style="background:#c0c0c0;"
| –
| 90px
| Chérif Sy<br>
| —
| 2015
| 2015
|
! style="background:;" |
| Independent
| Position vacant
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 90px
| Michel Kafando<br>
| —
| 2015<br>
| 2015
|
! style="background:;" |
| Independent
| Zida
|-
| 7
| 90px
| Roch Marc Christian Kaboré<br>
| 2015<br>2020
| 2015
| 2022<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| MPP
| Thieba<br>Dabiré<br>L. Zerbo
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 90px
| Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba<br>
| –
| 2022
| 2022<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Ouédraogo
|- style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 90px
| Ibrahim Traoré<br>
| –
| 2022
| Incumbent
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Tambèla<br>J. E. Ouédraogo
|}
Timeline
Latest election
See also
- Politics of Burkina Faso
- List of prime ministers of Burkina Faso
- List of colonial governors of French Upper Volta
Notes
References
External links
- Presidency
- World Statesmen – Burkina Faso