African Independence Party (Burkina Faso)

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Burkina Faso

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African Independence Party (French: Parti Africain de l’Indépendance) is a political party in Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), led by Philippe Ouédraogo.

It was a part of the Pan-african communist African Independence Party (PAI), which established its branch in Upper Volta in 1963. In 1973 PAI launched the Patriotic League for Development (LIPAD) as its open mass front. LIPAD became an important movement during the revolution of 1983 and through LIPAD PAI took part in the Thomas Sankara government for one year. Then relations with Sankara soured and LIPAD was expelled from the government.

In the 1992 parliamentary elections, PAI was part of the pro-government Popular Front. PAI won two seats.

In 1999 the PAI split, and Soumane Touré formed a parallel PAI. The PAI led by Touré, which joined the government, obtained the legal recognition of the name PAI., It lost it in 2005. The PAI led by Ouédraogo registered an electoral party, Party for Democracy and Socialism in 2002, in order to contest the elections on 5 May 2002. PDS won 1.7 % of the popular vote and 2 out of 111 seats.

In 2005 Ouédraogo won 2.3 % of the vote in the presidential elections. He was supported by the PAI, the PDS, the CDS, the GDP and the UFP.

PAI publishes L'Avant-Garde.