Mali announces postponement of proposed presidential election

The plan to transit from military rule to a constitutional democracy has suffered yet another setback in Mali as the junta announced that it has postponed the presidential election in the country. No new date has been announced as civil society groups condemn the move…

The military junta in Mali has announced that the proposed presidential elections scheduled for February 2024 to return the country to civilian rule will be postponed.

The two rounds of votes, set for Feb. 4 and 18, 2024, “will be slightly postponed for technical reasons” including financial challenges for the review of voter lists, government spokesman Col. Abdoulaye Maiga said in a statement. The new dates will be announced later, he added.

He highlighted a dispute with French company Idemia, which the junta says is involved in the census process.

“The new dates for the presidential election will be communicated later,” Maiga said.

The postponement is yet another setback in the junta’s plan to transfer over control to civilian administration.

Civil society organisation and the opposition have voiced their displeasure following the announcement.

The elections were planned to restore constitutional order after military coups in 2020 and 2021.

The Assimi Goita led-junta had initially proposed the elections to be held in 2026.

It then revised it to 2025 and finally moved it to February 2024 after repeated pressure from the West African bloc Ecowas.