(3 minutes read)
· Mali has a new President. Its interim legislature has elected Colonel Malick Diaw, who is a member of the military junta that toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August as its President
· He was elected president unopposed with 111 votes in his favor and seven abstentions
· However, the opposition named as “June 5 Movement”, which led protests against Keita this year, has boycotted the new legislature and in a strongly worded reaction said that it would not serve as a “stooge” for a disguised military regime”
Mali has now a new President. Its interim legislature has elected Colonel Malick Diaw, who is a member of the military junta that toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August as its President. He was elected president unopposed with 111 votes in his favor and seven abstentions.
The interim legislature having 121-members known as the National Transition Council yesterday (Saturday) elected Diaw after meeting for its inaugural session in the capital Bamako. He was second in command of the military junta after ousting Keita. The junta has never formally been dissolved.
However, the opposition named as “June 5 Movement”, which led protests against Keita this year, has boycotted the new legislature and in a strongly worded reaction said that it would not serve as a “stooge” for a disguised military regime”. Members of the defense and security forces have 22 seats in the transition council, while political parties, civil society groups and trade unions also have seats. The opposition is concerned about the non-dissolution of the military junta despite their strong dissent on the continuation of the junta. The opposition feels the real power center is the military and the civil representatives are stooges of defense forces.
