OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso's transitional president has signed a decree fixing the date for the first round of presidential elections on Oct. 11.

Michel Kafando signed the order late Wednesday. Parliamentary elections will take place the same day.

Transitional authorities will hand power over to a newly elected government. They have ruled since a popular uprising forced Blaise Compaore to resign after 27 years in power.

The National Independent Electoral Commission announced last week that some 5.5 million voters have registered. Burkina Faso has a population of about 17 million people.

A chief source of tension is an ongoing dispute between transition officials and the elite Presidential Security Regiment, which has called for the resignation of the prime minister — a former second-in-command of the unit — and three ministers.