For more than two years, Mali’s army has controlled the country terrorized by Islamists. A return to democracy is being called for internationally – but now the army could continue to strengthen.
Overshadowed by the demand for the UN blue helmets to withdraw, the citizens of the West African crisis-ridden state of Mali are today voting on a new constitution.
More than two years after the most recent military coup in the Sahel country with around 23 million inhabitants, a democratic transition process with regional, parliamentary and presidential elections is to begin, at the end of which a civilian head of state should be determined by next March. It remains to be seen whether the schedule can be met after the constitutional referendum was delayed by three months.
Also help of Russian mercenaries
The security situation is very bad in northern and central Mali. Fighters close to the terrorist militias IS and al-Qaeda control large areas of the country on the edge of the Sahara. On Friday, Colonel Assimi Goïta’s military junta demanded the withdrawal of the UN stabilization mission with around 12,000 peacekeepers, which also includes 1,100 German soldiers. The Malian army is taking action against the terrorists with the help of Russian mercenaries. Crimes against civilians have been documented by both sides.
Under the new constitution, which is to replace the 1992 text, the president and the army would be significantly strengthened. The separation of civil and military power is abolished, and the army is entrusted with “executing the law”. The President gains power over the government and has a greater role in legislation. Observers are critical of passages that could amount to an amnesty for the most recent military coups and human rights violations.
opposition to the new constitution
In the future, the multi-ethnic state will have thirteen official languages, while French will become the working language. In addition, new institutions such as a senate and a court of auditors will be introduced. The separatist Tuareg in northern Mali see it as a violation of a peace agreement from 2015 that the north is not granted greater autonomy than was agreed at the time.
Voters can vote between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time today. The first results could be seen tomorrow or Tuesday. Observers expected the supporters to win. Various opposition parties and associations spoke out against the new constitution. The Yes and No camps gathered for rallies and debated on television.
However, freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Mali has been restricted since the coups. Mobile phone users recently received text messages every day that advertised a yes. How high the voter turnout would be was unclear because of the security situation and the partly widespread frustration.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
