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12-03-2023
BAMAKO: Mali’s interim government has postponed a constitutional referendum, a key step on the country’s path towards elections meant to restore democracy after a military takeover in 2020.
“The transitional government informs national and international opinion that the date of the referendum scheduled for March 19, 2023 … will be slightly postponed,” it said in a statement released on Friday.
The referendum is a milestone on the road to elections promised for February. With its postponement, the military will miss the first deadline on a timetable it drew up to return Mali to civilian rule.
The announcement came a day after Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga media that the referendum will take place “according to the constitution and, God willing, this referendum will take place”.
“The deadline remains the date we were able to negotiate with ECOWAS [the Economic Community of West African States], and the head of state is firmly committed to respecting this date,” the government statement said.
The delay had been expected for some time because almost no arrangements had been made for the vote and the draft constitution was handed over to interim president and coup leader Assimi Goita only on February 27.
ECOWAS lifted a set of trade and financial sanctions against Mali in July after the military government committed to a March 2024 handover. The sanctions were imposed in January 2022 when the military government was considering remaining in power for up to five years.
The statement said the interim government would install subdivisions of the election management body in all regions of the country before holding the vote.
The interim government said it wanted to familiarise the public with the draft of the constitution.
“The new date of the referendum will be set after consultation with the independent election management authority and all stakeholders in the electoral process,” the statement said. (Int’l News Desk)
