They were also the first presidential elections held under a revised Constitution adopted a year earlier.
Incumbent president Sangoulé Lamizana ran as an independent with the support of the Voltaic Democratic Union–African Democratic Rally.
[2] In 1966, Yaméogo was ousted after a general strike in opposition to his rule, and was replaced by a provisional military government led by Lamizana.
In 1970, a new Constitution was ratified, which was later revised by a referendum held in 1977.
The first parliamentary elections were held under the revised Constitution on 30 April 1978, with the first round of the presidential elections being held two weeks later.