Mali’s transitional president, Colonel Assimi Goita, received a revised draft of the latest Mali constitution draft on Monday. The proposed constitution, part of a vast reform project initiated by the military, would strengthen the president’s power and reduce the status of the French language.
If approved, the latest draft of Mali constitution would empower the president to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and government ministers, dissolve the National Assembly, and propose laws, all of which were previously the prerogative of the government and MPs.
The draft of Mali’s constitution would also make the president, not the government, responsible for determining the nation’s policies. The president would be elected for five years and be limited to two terms in office.
Mali constitution controversy
Despite the controversy surrounding the proposed constitution, Colonel Goita said the draft had been drawn up “without any obstacle.” A referendum on the new constitution had been planned for March 19, but doubts are growing as to whether this deadline will be met.
Mali has been suffering from a security and political crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the north of the country in 2012. The proposed new constitution is a key element of the military’s reform project, aimed at ensuring a return to civilian rule, with an election scheduled for February 2024.
