Burkina Faso says its poll will be valid, whatever the turnout

WHAT MAKESMP a national election national? One answer is that everyone is able to vote. But politicians in Burkina Faso disagree. With little consultation, the main political parties have voted to change the electoral code so that presidential and legislative elections to be held in November will be deemed valid even if people are unable to vote in the vast tracts of the country that are plagued by jihadists.One , Aziz Diallo, describes the change as an “attack on democracy”. Another, Alexandre Sankara, says it “violates the constitution”. It is but the latest worrying sign in a country at the heart of the fight against violent extremists in the Sahel.