As expected since mid-February 2023, the constitutional referendum initially scheduled for March 19 has been postponed; the economic, logistical, administrative and security difficulties that might not be resolved by the authorities of the Transition in order to organize in calm and serenity, this broad consultation of the people, which will lead, if it takes place, on fundamental changes in the management of Mali at all levels. The announcement of this “slight postponement” was made on March 10, through a press release from the Minister of Territorial Administration, who immediately reassured Malians and Mali’s partners that the date of the presidential election scheduled for February 2024, will be maintained. But you have to be naive or politically scorbutic to believe in this promise of Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, especially since if the referendum is postponed to next June as is already rumored, there will ipso facto be a shift in the entire electoral timetable. which provides for a series of polls leading to the transfer of power to civilians at the end of the Transition. In the press and on the web, government trolls have been unleashed once morest all those who believe, rightly or wrongly, that the postponement of the referendum consultation will certainly suit the junta in power, especially since the latter might take advantage of it to postpone the date of the presidential election, in order to allow Assimi Goita to extend his lease at the Koulouba palace, by dropping the mask and the trellis when the time comes. To tell the truth, the anti-juntas who have been agitating since last week like fry by the sea, to denounce a delaying maneuver in order to move towards a probable electoral slide, are not necessarily in bad faith, especially since some those in charge of the Transition did not make a mystery of it.
ECOWAS will still have its eyes glued to the banks of the Djoliba
However, they should recognize that the conditions are far from being met for credible and transparent elections, in a country whose North and Center are beyond the control of the State. In any case, one wonders who really benefits from this postponement, when we know that ECOWAS will undoubtedly bring out the sword as soon as it realizes the desire to perpetuate the Transition regime in power. As for the political opposition and certain organizations of civil society, no seduction operation will be able to convince them to accept the web of cretinities stirred up by the supporters of the “powerful môgôs of Bamako” and which makes people believe that the departure of ‘Assimi Goïta of power would precipitate Mali into the abyss. It is therefore an explosive cocktail in prospect in this country, which is already in very bad shape, which risks ”popping the boss’s hat”, especially if the politicians, CSOs, imams and Muslim scholars who are standing up once morest certain provisions of the draft new Constitution join forces with the rebels of the Far North who have suddenly brought their independence demands up to date, to demand strict compliance with the deadline given to freight forwarders to clear the floor. We know that Assimi Goïta and his family want to give themselves time to “complete their security, reconstruction and reconciliation projects” started since their 2021 putsch, but they must work to quickly get rid of this hot potato that is power in this country where poverty and inter-community conflicts are spreading like wildfire. We can well understand that they are embarrassed at the corners since they obviously might not stop the terrorist attacks ordered and coordinated by the lame leaders of katiba, but they will have to have the wisdom not to brace themselves in power, on pain of seeing things go further into a spin, with possible disputes all over the place. Postponing the referendum poll to justify the postponement of the elections later might turn out to be a double-edged sword in the hands of the strong men of Bamako, and we hope that they will have enough lucidity not to waste this immense capital of sympathy. which they enjoy with many Malians, leaving things before things leave them, to use the famous formula of General De Gaulle. From now on, there is no doubt that ECOWAS will still have its eyes riveted on the banks of the Djoliba, in order to prevent a possible disruption of the electoral calendar in this country, from spreading oil in other countries. others in the sub-region and even arouses vocations where we least expect it.
Hamadou GADIAGA