Roch Kabore wins presidential election in Burkina Faso

 People's Movement for Progress candidate Roch Marc Christian Kabore has won the Burkinabe presidential election with over 53.49 percent votes, the country’s electoral commission announced early Tuesday.

Zephirin Diabre, a candidate of the Union for Progress and Change, and former head of the opposition, came in second with 29.5 percent votes.

“Congratulations to Roch Marc Christian Kabore, new president of Burkina Faso,” Diabre tweeted in French.

Kabore, 57, was prime minister of Burkina Faso between 1994 and 1996 under the rule of former President Blaise Compaore. He formed the opposition People’s Movement for Progress in January 2014.

The Nov. 29 general national election was the first since Compaore was toppled by protests in Oct. 2014 after 27 years in power.

Michel Kafando was named last year as interim president to lead the country until elections could be held.

However, in September, units from the country’s Presidential Guard, led by Gen. Gilbert Diendere, stormed into a cabinet meeting and arrested Kafando, Isaac Zida, interim prime minister, and a handful of other government ministers.

Following opposition from the country’s military establishment, Kafando and Zida, were released and the coup attempt failed.