Opposition parties in Burkina Faso accused President Blaise Compaore on Wednesday of preparing a “constitutional coup d’etat” and called for nationwide protests against moves to remove a two-term limit for the presidency.

Opposition leader Zephirin Diabre urged people across Burkina Faso to close market stalls and walk out of private and public sector jobs on Oct. 28 to mark the beginning of a civil disobedience campaign to prevent a referendum being organized.

There were pockets of unrest in the capital Ouagadougou late on Tuesday after the government said it would submit a bill for parliament to call a referendum on constitutional changes to allow the president to stand for re-election next year.

The streets were calm on Wednesday.

There is concern that other leaders in West and Central Africa may be tempted to seek constitutional changes to prolong their mandates in the coming years, and events in Burkina Faso are being closely watched abroad.

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