Transitional Legislative Assembly

The Transitional Legislative Assembly (French: Assemblée législative de transition, ALT; later renamed Assemblée législative du peuple) is the unicameral parliament of Burkina Faso during the transition period that followed the January 2022 military coup. It replaced the National Assembly and was created under the transitional charter adopted on 1 March 2022, which also proclaimed Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as transitional president for three years. The first legislature was installed on 22 March 2022 with 71 members, initially designated by the transitional president, defence and security forces, regional civil society, and political parties. Aboubacar Toguyeni was elected its first president. The ALT's mandate is to vote on reform texts during the transition, exercising the prerogatives set out in Title V of the 1991 Constitution as adapted by the transitional charters. Its first legislature was dissolved only seven months later, on 29 September 2022, when Captain Ibrahim Traoré led a second coup that suspended the constitution and dissolved the government. A new transitional charter adopted on 14 October 2022 restored the ALT, and the second legislature took office on 11 November 2022, again with 71 members but with a slightly modified designation formula. Ousmane Bougouma was elected president with 65 votes against two for his sole rival, Bénédicte Bailou. The institution operates from Ouagadougou and maintains an official website at alt.bf, where it publishes plenary sessions, committee work, public hearings, guided tours, and news. Its activities include adopting the 2026 rectified finance law and conducting parliamentary missions on topics such as the professional integration of vocational training graduates. The ALT is a state institution rather than a commercial brand, but it functions as a public-sector entity with its own institutional identity and communications.

The Transitional Legislative Assembly was established in the wake of the January 2022 coup d'état in Burkina Faso. On 23 January 2022, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba overthrew President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. A transitional charter adopted on 1 March 2022 proclaimed Damiba as transitional president for three years and created the ALT as the country's legislative organ, initially composed of 51 members. The deputies were appointed on 20 March 2022 and took office on 22 March 2022. During the inaugural session, presided over by the oldest member, Jean-Hubert Bazié, Aboubacar Toguyeni was elected president of the assembly with 59 votes out of 70 deputies present. The first legislature was short-lived. On 29 September 2022, a new coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré suspended the constitution and dissolved the government and the ALT, only seven months after it had been installed. A new transitional charter adopted on 14 October 2022 restored the ALT as the legislative organ of the transition. New deputies for the second legislature took office on 11 November 2022. During the inaugural session, Ousmane Bougouma was elected president with 65 votes against two for Bénédicte Bailou, his sole competitor. The ALT exercises the prerogatives provided for in Title V of the 1991 Constitution, in accordance with the March 2022 transitional charter and the new charter that succeeded it in October 2022. Under the first charter, until the September 2022 coup, the ALT was composed of 71 deputies designated as follows: 21 by the transitional president, 16 by the defence and security forces, 13 by regional civil society forces, 13 by civil society organisations, and 8 by political parties and movements. Since its restoration in November 2022, the second assembly is also composed of 71 deputies, with a slightly modified designation: 20 by the transitional president, 16 by the defence and security forces, 13 by regional civil society forces not affiliated with a political party, 12 by political parties and movements, and 10 by civil society organisations. Eligibility conditions remained unchanged between the March and October 2022 charters. To be eligible, a person must be of Burkinabé nationality, have reached civil majority (18 years), enjoy civil and political rights, and never have been convicted of a crime or offence affecting honour or probity. It is also stipulated that a person must be of integrity, impartiality, and good moral character. The assembly is led by a president elected by peers during the inaugural session. The institution continues to operate, adopting legislation such as the 2026 rectified finance law and conducting parliamentary missions on social and professional issues.

• January 2022 coup d'état led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba overthrows President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré

• Transitional charter adopted, proclaiming Damiba as transitional president and creating the ALT

• ALT deputies appointed

• First legislature takes office; Aboubacar Toguyeni elected president

• September 2022 coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré dissolves the ALT

• New transitional charter adopted, restoring the ALT

• Second legislature takes office; Ousmane Bougouma elected president

• 2026 rectified finance law adopted by deputies

Transitional unicameral parliament of Burkina Faso

1. 1Assemblée législative de transitionalt.bf
2. 2Histoire du Parlement de la Haute Volta au Burkina Fasoalt.bf
3. 3Assemblée législative du peuplefr.wikipedia.org
4. 4People's Legislative Assemblywikidata.org