Mali's Junta Postpones Presidential Election

Facts

• Mali's military government on Monday announced it would postpone a planned presidential election, intended to restore democracy in the conflict-torn country, originally scheduled for February.¹
• In a statement, the junta said the voting 'will be slightly postponed for technical reasons,' including problems related to the adoption of a new constitution this year.²
• Further, it also referred to a dispute with the French company Idemia — involved in the country's census process — for the delay, adding that 'the new dates for the presidential election will be communicated later.'³
• As the government had 'decided to organize, exclusively, the presidential election,' legislative elections — initially planned for late 2023 — will be held on a schedule 'established by the new authorities, under the directives of the new president.'⁴
• The move could draw economic sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which the bloc eased in July 2022 after the military government agreed to hold the presidential election.⁵
• Following military coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali's transition to civilian rule has been repeatedly delayed. While a constitutional referendum scheduled for February 2023 took place in June, legislative elections continue to be deferred.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Al Jazeera, ³Punch newspapers, ⁴France 24, ⁵Associated Press and ⁶Dw.com.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Voa. The announcement is the most recent testimony to the autocratic nature of the so-called transitional government. That this is the second time Bamako has postponed presidential elections makes it clear that the supposed 'technical issues' are merely a pretext to prevent Mali's transition to democracy. Since there are no valid reasons for postponing the elections, renewed sanctions by ECOWAS are an option to bring the military junta to its senses.
• Narrative B, as provided by Daily trust. Criticism of Mali's government ignores an important lesson of recent years — that 'democracy' has failed to deliver on its promise of development and peace. Recent African coups could only succeed because people are desperate and prefer military rule to a democratic façade. Moreover, countries like Saudi Arabia, courted by the West, show that democracy is no prerequisite for creating prosperity and stability. For the people, results matter more than the form of government.