Major political parties in Mali have rejected the junta’s five-year plan for transition to civilian rule. Since August 2020, the military has carried out two coups and postponed elections.
A coalition of 10 political parties in Mali rejected the military-led government’s plans for a slow transition to democratic rule.
The coalition said in a statement it “rejects this unilateral and unreasonable timetable.”
Sekou Niame Bathily, a spokesman for the coalition, said the coalition hopes “to proceed with quickly organising elections.”
The military plan says the transition could take up to five years.
The plan suggests a constitutional referendum to be held in 2023 and legislative elections in 2025. A presidential election is scheduled for 2026.
The regime called its proposal “appropriate to conduct the political and institutional reforms.”
Mali’s foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop, submitted the government’s transition plans Saturday to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Diop forwarded the document despite a boycott of the national reform conference by political parties and nongovernmental organisations.
ECOWAS has threatened sanctions on the country’s military rulers for postponing the elections.
On January 9, ECOWAS will hold a summit in the Ghanaian capital of Accra on the situation in Mali.
The military government sought to extend the transition phase by five years beginning at the start of the new year on January 1.