Burkina 1997
Amendments to the 1991 constitution were ratified February 14, 1997, a year before the president faced another election. The amendments increased the power of the president, lifted term limits, and erased language about popular participation. The 1991 constitution did not specify the precise way changes should be made; therefore, at the initiative of the majority party in the popularly elected legislature, the legislature took the official lead to establish the rules for procedure for the deliberation and drafting process to amend the constitution. A Law of January 24, l997 drew on principles in the constitution to provide authorization for review and amendment. The rules adopted allowed the president to send to referendum a draft that the National Assembly had rejected, Opposition parties did not block the process. A group of deputies from the majority party formed a sub-committee in the Lower House of the legislature to prepare the draft. The committee submitted proposals to the executive branch for review on January 20. The Lower House discussed the proposals two days later and on January 27, the Lower House adopted the changes in a plenary session by secret ballot. The amendments were approved by 86 of the 107 members.