Mali: The project of the new constitution concentrates the powers in the hands of the president

In Bamako, the project for a new constitution was handed over to the president of the transition Assimi Goïta on Monday 27 February. The text reinforces the powers of the tenant of the Koulouba palace by allowing him to order general mobilisation, and relegates the French language to the rank of “working language”. The document should be put to a referendum on 19 March.

The 29-page document considerably strengthens the power of the president. It gives the latter, for example, the right to determine the nation’s policy, a responsibility that used to fall to the Prime Minister. Secondly, the new project gives the president the power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and ministers. Also, he can order the general mobilisation for the participation of citizens in the defence of the Fatherland when the security situation requires it.

In addition, the government will be accountable to the president, not to the National Assembly, which the president can now dissolve. Finally, the next Malian heads of state can initiate laws in the same way as parliamentarians. In short, the majority of power is concentrated in the hands of the president. However, the document states that no president will serve more than two terms.

Another key point in this project for a new fundamental law is that ‘the national languages are the official languages of Mali. French is the working language and the State may adopt any other language as a working language’, stipulates Article 31 of this law.

In addition, “All these amendments aim to take into account the deep aspirations of the Malian people, their concerns recorded during the sessions of restitution, listening and exchange throughout the Malian territory,” said the coordinator of the commission of finalization of the project of the new Constitution of the Republic of Mali, Fousseyni Samaké at the ceremony of handing over the document, quoted by the agency APS

According to the reforms put forward by the military to justify its continued rule, this new constitution is an essential step. Its adoption would be a decisive step in the transition timetable, which aims to return civilians to power through elections in February 2024.