Low turnout, allegations of suppression in Mali constitutional referendum
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Mali has voted in a referendum to decide on a new constitution. The proposed changes would give more power to the president and the military. The counting of votes began on Sunday and the preliminary results will be available by Tuesday.
Mali, a country in West Africa, is currently under the control of the military. They took over in a coup in 2020 and then another coup nine months later, which removed the temporary civilian government.
At that time, the prime minister and the president were supposed to lead a government that would guide the country towards new elections.
The ruling military group says that these proposed changes are intended to gradually transition the country back to civilian rule. They plan to hold parliamentary elections in October.
The leader of the military junta, Assimi Goita, expressed his belief that the referendum will lead to a better Mali, one that is strong and efficient, and serves the well-being of its people. He made these comments on Sunday.
Observer missions notes
The alleged disenfranchisement of voters living in the northern region of Kidal which is controlled by former rebels is highly contested. Modele Mali, an observer mission funded by the European Union, says its observers witnessed no vote there.
Another observer group, the Coalition pour l’observation citoyenne des élections au Mali (COCEM), said that none of its observers had witnessed the opening of polling stations in the Kidal region. A document authenticated by Associated Foreign Press from the regional branch of the authority in charge of elections (AIGE) in Kidal also states that the referendum could not be held throughout the region.
Whether or not the vote would be held in Kidal, a stronghold of armed groups that fought the central state before signing a fragile peace agreement with it in 2015, was being closely scrutinized.
The former rebels controlling the region are opposed to the draft constitution.
Modele Mali reported a 28% turnout in the polling stations where its 3, 075 observers were deployed. They also reported that over 80 polling stations in Mopti, in the centre of the country, were not open “due to insecurity”. The group said that a “terrorist attack” had disrupted voting in Bodio (Mopti region), but did not give further details.
In Menaka, a northern region contending with rebels linked to the Islamic State group, voting was limited to its capital due to insecurity, local elected officials said.
Results are expected within the next 24 hours.
