2023-07-22 10:40:15
This is a further act of distancing itself from the former French dominant power and at the same time pivoting towards Russia. The Constitutional Council in Mali endorsed on Friday the massive victory of the « oui », with 96.91% of the vote, in the referendum on June 18 for a new Constitution. A plebiscite in favor of the military in power since 2020 in a country facing jihadism and a deep multidimensional crisis.
“Sovereignty”, a new watchword
The new constitution strengthens the powers of the president. What definitively turn the page of the Third Republic. The Head of State can now refer directly to the National Assembly, associated for the first time with a second chamber, the Senate. He sets the policy of the nation as the head of government policy. The fundamental law also puts a brake on untimely movements by parliamentarians: a deputy who changes political group will have to resign and submit to the vote to be re-elected. Overall, the text gives pride of place to the armed forces and brings to the fore the notion of “sovereignty” to underline the emancipation of Paris. French, once an official language, has been demoted to the rank of working language.
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The June 18 referendum was an important step on the path that was supposed to lead in March 2024 to a return of civilians to the head of the country. It was the first ballot since the military took power by force in August 2020 and since then they have exercised almost without sharing. The constitution proposes an amnesty for perpetrators of coups prior to its promulgation. It is therefore beneficial to Colonel Assimi Goïta, President of the Malian Transition. In Mali, a first coup snatched power from former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on the night of August 18 to 19, 2020. On May 24, 2021, President Bah Ndaw and his Prime Minister Moctar Ouane who ensured a transition after this putsch had been arrested. Since that date, and until the next elections scheduled for 2024, the transition is ensured by Colonel Assimi Goïta.
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The credibility of the ballot at stake
The election gives him strong support, as well as his reform agenda, with however a low participation rate (38.23%), even if abstention is traditionally high in Mali. The path to the polls had been hampered in many central and northern localities, either by fear of jihadist attacks or by political disagreements. The Supreme Court nevertheless rejected all the appeals.
The court said it had not counted the vote in some localities, without giving further details. The ballot was marred by incidents and irregularities, according to observers and opponents of the reform. Critics of the project describe it as tailor-made for keeping the colonels in power beyond the presidential election scheduled for February 2024, despite their initial commitment to handing over the place to civilians after the elections.
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