Burkina Faso army accepts transition charter

Burkina Faso's head of transition Isaac Yacouba Zida has said the army is in agreement with the Transition Charter proposed by civilian groups, but talks are still on to identify the future president.

Lt. Col. Zida was speaking Thursday in Ouagadougou after meeting with women organisations in the country, Xinhua reported.

"Negotiations are going on well, because we have already agreed on the structure of the transition organ," he said, adding that the military wanted a consensual civilian to lead the transition.

"We have stated that it cannot be a politician, because if it is a politician, we don't have the guarantee that when election time comes, this politician will not start thinking of supporting his party or an allied party, something that could plunge the country in deeper crisis," Zida reiterated.

"Now, we are in the process of discussing who to take which place. But we have agreed that a civilian should head the transition, it was our position from the start," the number two in the presidential guard who took over the reigns of power after Blaise Compaore's departure, said.

Negotiations have been going on since the resignation of Compaore two weeks ago between the army which seized power and civilians to put in place a constitutional transition.