GPS News
AFRICA NEWS
Mali junta to hold vote on new constitution in June
Mali junta to hold vote on new constitution in June
by AFP Staff Writers
Bamako (AFP) May 5, 2023

Mali's military junta announced Friday a referendum on a new constitution to be held on June 18 in a delayed step towards a return to civilian rule in the insurgency-wracked west African nation.

The referendum had been scheduled for March 19 but was postponed indefinitely as the impoverished Sahel state battles jihadist and separatist insurgencies that broke out in the north in 2012.

Government spokesman colonel Abdoulaye Maiga read out a decree on state television saying the country would be called upon "to decide on the constitution" in June.

The new constitution is the first major step in plans the military has invoked to justify continuing to govern until 2024, following the ouster of former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020.

Elections are due in February 2024 to restore a civilian government in Bamako.

"Voters will have to respond by a 'yes' or a 'no' to the following question," on the referendum, the spokesman said. "Do you approve of the draft constitution?"

Members of the security forces will vote early on June 11, white ballots for yes, red for no.

The spokesman, who had stated that 2024 remained the electoral "deadline" when he announced the delay, said Friday the government had "kept its word".

- 'Satisfaction' -

The delay had fed fears the elections would be delayed, while the junta said it needed more time to promote the new draft and to organise the staging of the referendum across the vast country.

Mali came under pressure from the regional bloc ECOWAS to stick to the calendar to hand over power.

The Economic Community of West African States slapped sanctions on Bamako in January 2022 when the junta considered staying in government for five years to tackle the security and economic crisis.

The sanctions were lifted in July the same year on the landlocked nation of 20 million.

ECOWAS expressed its "satisfaction" after Friday's announcement.

This decision "marks an important step" in the implementation of the timetable for the return of civilians to power, the bloc said in a statement.

The draft would significantly strengthen the power of the president.

It says the head of state, and not the government as before, "determines the policy of the nation", appoints the prime minister and ministers and has the right to terminate their functions.

The junta ended a long-standing alliance with France and other Western partners and has turned to Russia's Wagner mercenaries for help in the fight against jihadism.

The military enjoys strong popular support according to an opinion poll of 2,295 Malians by Germany's Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung foundation in February.

More than nine out of 10 people said they were satisfied with the authorities. Three out of five declared that keeping to the deadline to restore civilian rule was not important.

The June 18 referendum will be the first national vote since 2020.

- Multiple challenges -

Constitutional change has long been debated in Mali. A referendum set for 2017 did not take place.

A brief government, set up by army colonels, announced in April 2021 that a referendum would be held that October.

Within weeks that government was swept aside and senior officers took over, declaring Colonel Assimi Goita the transitional president.

Multiple challenges await the holding of the referendum, from attacks on voting stations to logistical problems and the registration of voters.

At the same time armed opposition groups in the north, a section of civil society and some Muslim religious figures do not support a secular state.

Goita has issued "very firm instructions" for the referendum to have all the necessary logistical, financial and security support, the junta spokesman said.

The referendum campaign will run from June 2-16.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AFRICA NEWS
Red Sea evacuations put Saudi centre stage in Sudan crisis
Port Sudan, Sudan (AFP) May 2, 2023
The HMS Al Diriyah, a 102-metre-long Saudi warship, is typically used to escort oil tankers through the Red Sea and in training exercises with Western naval powers. But this week the vessel carried out a different kind of mission: transporting shell-shocked civilians from conflict-hit Sudan to safety on Saudi soil. It was part of a broader evacuation effort that has given Saudi Arabia a central role in Sudan's crisis, putting the Gulf kingdom's regional clout on display for a global audience. ... read more

AFRICA NEWS
World's tallest 'hemp hotel' trails South Africa's green credentials

Europe's produce at stake in Spain's water war

Study offers a new view of when and how governments distribute land

Insect farming startup Entoverse launches FarmGPT component

AFRICA NEWS
Atomic shells become computational building blocks

The world's first wood transistor

Lithography-free photonic chip offers speed and accuracy for artificial intelligence

MIT engineers "grow" atomically thin transistors on top of computer chips

AFRICA NEWS
Around the world in 10 Days

Boeing reports another loss in Q1, but confirms forecast

In air dominance, the past and future converge

US Army temporarily grounds pilots after deadly crashes

AFRICA NEWS
Demand for electric cars 'booming': IEA

Chinese EV dominance hastens end of petrol engine era

Thousands protest planned motorway in France

Tesla shares rebound as it tweaks prices on luxury models

AFRICA NEWS
Biden, Marcos discuss securing tense South China Sea

HSBC faces shareholder vote on splitting bank

Asian markets rise after shrugging off US rate hike

Asian stocks mixed after slide on Wall Street

AFRICA NEWS
Progressive climate change: desertification threatens Mediterranean forests

Indigenous youths use tech as 'weapon' to protect Amazon

Illegal miners threaten Ghana's forests: govt

Nuances of the forest-water connection

AFRICA NEWS
ESA releases image of Earth showing detailed weather patterns

Spire Global launches a space-powered weather insights platform for the maritime industry

Imagia raises new funding for optoelectronics research

Satellites help guard ecological red lines

AFRICA NEWS
Single-molecule valve: a breakthrough in nanoscale control

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.