In Mali, interim government delays constitutional referendum, a milestone on return to civilian rule

Mali’s interim government has postponed a constitutional referendum, a key step on the country’s path towards elections meant to restore democracy after a military takeover in 2020. “The transitional government informs national and international opinion that the date of the referendum scheduled for March 19, 2023 … will be slightly postponed,” it said in a statement released on [10 March]. The referendum is a milestone on the road to elections promised for February. With its postponement, the military will miss the first deadline on a timetable it drew up to return Mali to civilian rule. [...] The statement said the interim government would install subdivisions of the election management body in all regions of the country before holding the vote. The interim government said it wanted to familiarise the public with the draft of the constitution. “The new date of the referendum will be set after consultation with the independent election management authority and all stakeholders in the electoral process,” the statement said. [...] The draft constitution significantly strengthens the power of the president. Under it, the president rather than the government “determines the policy of the nation”, appoints the prime minister and ministers, and has the right to sack them. The president could also dissolve the National Assembly. [...] The draft constitution states that Mali is an “independent, sovereign, unitary, indivisible, democratic, secular and social republic”.
Read the full article here: Al Jazeera