(3 minutes read)
- Mali will launch a nationwide debate on governance reform this month. This approach is needed as a pre-condition for returning to civilian rule from the present army dominated rule
- To discuss this in detail a national forum for rebuilding the country will be kicked off on October 25 to provide a platform for discussing the pros and cons of the type of governance that the war-torn Sahel country should have. Mali is facing international pressure to switch over to civilian[j1] rule
- The national debate will lead to another debate to be held between November 1 and 21, which will examine the major points that have emerged in the preliminary debates
Mali will launch a nationwide debate on governance reform this month. This approach is needed as a pre-condition for returning to civilian rule from the present army dominated rule. To discuss this in detail a national forum for rebuilding the country will be kicked off on October 25 to provide a platform for discussing the pros and cons of the type of governance that the war-torn Sahel country should have. Mali is facing international pressure to switch over to civilian[j2] rule. The national debate will lead to another debate to be held between November 1 and 21, which will examine the major points that have emerged in the preliminary debates.
Mali has been attracting international media attention ever since the military seized power in August 2020. It also deposed another civilian-led government in May. Though Colonel Assimi Goita, who usurped the power has vowed to hold elections in February next year, there are not many takers for his promise. On the ground, preparations for the elaborate elections have been slow or indifferent, which many believe can be a ploy to continue with the present dispensation. Both the UN and the ECOWAS have been putting pressure on the military junta to switch over to civilian rule. However, the newly appointed prime minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga has indicated that the election date will be decided only after the proposed national debate.
This statement from the prime minister, many interpret, is a tactic to delay the election. The military appointed an interim civilian government to steer the country back to democratic rule. The interim government maintained that it would hold elections in February 2021, as well as a constitutional referendum on October 31.
