The West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, on Tuesday expressed concern about the lack of proper planning by Mali’s transitional government for organizing elections early next year, following last year’s military coup, reported Africa News.
In a statement, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said that it is “worried by the lack of concrete action” to prepare for the vote, which coup leader and current interim President Colonel Assimi Goita has promised to hold by February 2022.
The West African bloc has repeatedly voiced fears about the current situation in Mali, one of the region’s poorest and most volatile states.
“The mission recalled the importance of respecting the date of the announced elections in order to demonstrate the credibility of the transition process,” the ECOWAS statement said.
The statement was issued at the end of a three-day mission to Mali headed by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.
Mali has been witnessing political instability since the August 2020 overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. The military-appointed an interim civilian government tasked with steering back to democratic rule.
After the coup, Mali’s military leaders agreed, under pressure from ECOWAS, to an 18-month transition, culminating in presidential and legislative elections in February 2022.
They had also agreed to set October 31 as a date for holding a constitutional referendum.
But, in May, Goita deposed the civilian leaders of this interim government in a second coup and later declared president himself. He has also pledged to respect the February deadline for civilian elections set by the interim government, which has set October 31 as a date for holding a constitutional referendum.
However, a number of election milestones have already been missed to be met, which comprises the commencement of voter roll updates and the introduction of a new constitution. Furthermore, rampant insecurity in the country and the scale of election preparations also cast doubt on the reform timetable.
