Burkina Faso prime minister brings opposition into government

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (Reuters) -- Burkina Faso's new prime minister has brought more opposition members into the government as part of a broad agreement to end a festering political and social crisis in the West African country.

A statement from the presidency issued late on Sunday said Paramanga Ernest Yonli had formed a government of 36 people, one third drawn from the opposition. It includes two ministers of state and 24 full ministers.

Yonli, minister for the civil service until he became prime minister on November 7, has also taken the economy and finance brief.

Youssouf Ouedraogo, a supporter of President Blaise Compaore, remains minister of state for foreign affairs.

An attempt by Compaore to rally the opposition in October 1999 had limited success, with only three minor opposition parties accepting ministerial posts.

This time, five opposition parties plus three described as being part of the presidential movement have ministers.

The agreement with the opposition parties stipulates there should be talks with civil society over the contentious issues that have divided the country over the past few years.

Social and political unrest flared in December 1998 after the murder of one of the country's top journalists, Norbert Zongo, who had been investigating the killing of a driver employed by a brother of Compaore.

Two presidential guards were found guilty of the driver's murder in August.

Presidential guards have also been implicated in Zongo's death but no charges have been laid. Under the new agreement, the government is to speed up the legal process in all outstanding cases.

Leaders of all political parties in the government will also meet with the prime minister every three months to review progress.

But the new government was criticised by radical political parties, particularly those in the Collective Against Impunity, which has led the fight for investigations into the two affairs that have poisoned the political climate over the past two years.

"If the government wants to end the crisis, it's going to have to talk to the Collective one day," Joseph Ki-Zerbo of the Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP), an influential member of the Collective, told Reuters. He refused to join the cabinet.

Some analysts say that, despite the formation of the new government, further unrest cannot be ruled out around December 13, the second anniversary of Zongo's murder.

The new government is also committed to working to reopen the University of Ouagadougou, closed in October after months of student and staff protests about grants and other issues. The 1999/2000 academic year was written off.

But there was little sign of compromise on Monday as the education workers' union SYNTER began a 10-day strike over pay and other issues.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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