Highlights: The vote is scheduled for 18th June next, three months after the date initially planned. The Independent Electoral Management Authority, AIGE, held a press briefing to reassure Malians about the progress of preparations. But election observers deployed in the country do not share the same optimism. The Plateforme Appel du 20 février, which brings together many opposition parties, has notably announced its intention to use the courts to prevent the holding of a constitutional referendum deemed "illegal" and "illegitimate"

Mali: Malian election observers concerned about the organisation of the constitutional referendum

View of the presidential palace in Bamako (Illustration photo). SEBASTIEN RIEUSSEC / AFP

Text by: David Baché

3 min

In Mali, Malian election observers are concerned about the organization of the constitutional referendum. The vote is scheduled for 18th June next, three months after the date initially planned. On Tuesday, the Independent Electoral Management Authority, AIGE, held a press briefing to reassure Malians about the progress of preparations. But election observers deployed in the country do not share the same optimism.

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The Independent Election Management Authority (AIGE) says it is ready for the referendum.

But the Election Observation Mission in Mali (Model Mali) nuances: if the members of the representations of the Aige in the regions, circles and communes of the country have largely been appointed, almost none have been officially installed by the authorities. A process that could take several more weeks, but which remains achievable, according to the observation mission, by June 18.

Due to considerable delays in the production and distribution of biometric identity cards, the authorities announced that other documents could be distributed and used on voting day. For this, a new amendment to the already freshly amended electoral law will be necessary.

" READ ALSO – Mali: the Independent Authority for the management of elections reassures on the holding of the referendum in June

Amateurism", "lack of planning", lament Malian observers, who are waiting for the publication of the future decree to analyze the details of this decision.

But what worries them most is the early vote of the military on June 11, a week before the rest of the 8 million 500,000 Malian voters officially registered.

Ibrahima Sangho, head of the Election Observation Mission in Mali: "It could be a source of fraud, massive fraud! Because nobody knows about the military electoral register. Will 500,000 soldiers vote? Is it a million soldiers? No one knows to this day. And the vote of the military is in the military camps. If this election were held outside the military camps, journalists and observers could see the credibility of the vote. But this is a problem with regard to the transparency of this election.

Another concern of Malian election observers is the ability of the authorities to organize the vote throughout the country due, in particular, to the terrorist threat.

Of course, there are some parts of the territory where there will be no election, such as in the centre and north of the country. It is also up to Aige and the Ministry of Territorial Administration to tell us where it will be possible and where it will not be possible to vote, so that Malians agree," said Ibrahima Sangho.

Finally, election observers are calling on the transitional authorities to relaunch dialogue with the political class, which is more divided than ever over the election.

The Plateforme Appel du 20 février, which brings together many opposition parties, has notably announced its intention to use the courts to prevent the holding of a constitutional referendum deemed "illegal" and "illegitimate".

" READ ALSO – Mali: the junta sets the referendum on the Constitution to June 18

Mali: Malian election observers concerned about the organisation of the constitutional referendum

Mali: Malian election observers concerned about the organisation of the constitutional referendum

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