Mali’s military junta has announced that a referendum for a new constitution is scheduled for June 18, 2022. The goal of the referendum is to bring the country back on track towards a constitutional form of government and to hold new presidential elections in 2023, also in the West African nation.
In a nationwide vote, citizens will decide whether to adopt a proposed constitution that has been hotly debated by competing political factions. The referendum had originally been planned for March of this year but was postponed. Minister Abdoulaye Maiga, the government spokesperson, confirmed arrangements with the revised date.
The junta’s proposed constitution, which was released in March 2022, would considerably strengthen the president’s power over the government. Under the proposal, the head of state, rather than the government, would determine the policy of the nation. They would also have the authority to appoint and dismiss prime ministers and other government officials, limiting the amount of autonomy these roles have in policymaking.
Armed movements that fought for the independence of Mali’s northern regions are critical of the proposed constitution, as they believe that it doesn’t account for the provisions of a peace agreement reached in 2015. This peace agreement was the result of a long-standing conflict between Mali’s government and these northern regions. Despite a peace agreement, violent extremist groups associated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State have destabilized the region since 2013.
Mali has been governed by a military junta since 2020, when it deposed the former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. This situation brought with it increased instability in the region. In 2021, France and other European countries providing support for the fight against violent extremists withdrew their forces from Mali’s north following the junta’s decision to engage Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group. While Mali moves towards a new constitution and eventual presidential elections, there remain many significant challenges and obstacles to full constitutional rule.
