Mali opposition leaders have rejected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s proposed concessions intended to quell the growing civil unrest in the country and called for his resignation, reported Reuters.
At least four people were killed in violent clashes in the capital Bamako on Friday during a demonstration where protesters occupied the parliament and national broadcaster. There were further clashes on Saturday as well.
The mass protests forced the Mali president to dissolve the constitutional court which has resulted in a controversy after it overturned provisional election results of a parliamentary poll held earlier this year, triggering protests in several cities.
“I have decided to repeal the licences of the remaining members,” he said during a television address on Saturday evening. “This de facto dissolution of the court will enable us… to ask relevant authorities to nominate new members so that the reformed court can quickly help us find solutions to the disputes arising from the legislative elections,”
He said the government will also begin to implement the recommendations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has called for the review of the election results and hold new partial elections.
But a coalition of opposition leaders has rejected the Mali president’s proposal.
Nouhoum Togo, a spokesman for the M5-RFP group of religious and political leaders which organised recent protests, said “we are not going to accept this nonsense”.
“We demand his resignation, plain and simple,” he said during an interview with Reuters on Sunday.
Togo said eight opposition supporters were shot dead by the police on Saturday.
While, Keita said he remained open to dialogue with his opponents, he condemned the acts of vandalism in the country.
“The state will take responsibility and fundamental liberties will be protected as long as I have the great privilege to serve you,” he said.
