Union for Rebirth / Sankarist Party explained

Union for Rebirth / Sankarist Party
Leader:Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara
Foundation:2000
Dissolution:2021
Merged:Union for Rebirth / Patriotic Sankarist Movement
Ideology:Sankarism
Socialism
Position:Left-wing
Slogan:"Avec le Peuple, Victoire!" ("With the People, Victory!")
Seats1 Title:National Assembly
Website:Union pour la Renaissance / Mouvement Sankariste, UNIR/MS
Country:Burkina Faso

The Union for Rebirth / Sankarist Party (French: Union pour la Renaissance / Parti Sankariste, UNIR / PS) was a political party in Burkina Faso.

History

The party was founded on November 1, 2000. Its president is lawyer Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara,[1] who bears no family relationship to Thomas Sankara.[2]

The name "Sankarist" party appears to be a reference to both the late President Thomas Sankara and the party's current leader. The party subscribes to Sankarism.

At the legislative elections on 5 May 2002, the party won 2.4% of the popular vote and three out of 111 seats. In the presidential election of 13 November 2005, its candidate Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara took second place with 4.88% of the popular vote.[3] At the 2007 parliamentary elections, the party won four seats.

Political scientist states that the UNIR/PS was among the opposition parties that participated in the 2014 uprising that ousted Blaise Compaoré, but that it "did not play a major role". The UNIR/PS went on to support the government of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.[4]

On November 1st, 2021, it was announced that the party merged with the Mouvement Patriotique pour le Salut and other small Sankarist parties and organisations into a new party, the Union pour la Renaissance/ Mouvement patriotique sankariste (Union for Rebirth / Patriotic Sankarist Movement) or UNIR/MPS.[5] [6] Bénéwendé Sankara continued to lead this party until he was succeeded by interim president Augustin Loada in January 2023.[7]

Electoral history

National Assembly

Election year
  1. of overall votes
% of overall vote
  1. of overall seats won
+/–
200242,5992.45 (#)
200790,7053.89 (#4) 1
2012131,5924.36 (#4)
2015118,6623.76 (#5) 1
202068,7272.45 (#6)

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.thomassankara.net/imprimer.php3?id_article=152 Page about the party
  2. De-Valera N.Y.M. Botchway and Moussa Traore, "Military Coup, Popular Revolution or Militarised Revolution?", in A Certain Amount of Madness: The Life, Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara (ed. Amber Murrey), London: Pluto Press, 2018, p. 22.
  3. http://africanelections.tripod.com/bf.html Elections in Burkina Faso
  4. Bettina Engels, "Social Movement Struggles and Political Transition in Burkina Faso", in A Certain Amount of Madness: The Life, Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara (ed. Amber Murrey), London: Pluto Press, 2018, pp. 264-265.
  5. News: Burkina : L’Union pour la Renaissance/Mouvement patriotique sankariste (UNIR/MPS), le nouveau parti dirigé par Me Bénéwendé Sankara . 28 June 2024 . Lefaso.net.
  6. News: UNIR/MPS : Nouveau parti sankariste pour repartir à la conquête du pouvoir d’Etat . 28 June 2024 . Burkina Demain.
  7. News: Présidence de l’UNIR/MPS : Me Bénéwendé Sankara passe le témoin après 22 ans . 28 June 2024 . Burkina24.