The military coup plotters in Mali have agreed to an 18-month transition period during which a temporary government will rule the country. Elections will follow after that period. This is the result of a three-day consultation with political and social groups on Saturday.
Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was deposed by a group of soldiers in mid-August. They stated that they wanted to save the country from “chaos and uncertainty”.
The coup plotters promised that national elections would follow within a “reasonable time”, but did not give details at the time. In consultation with political and social groups, it has now been decided that the poll will take place after a transition period of eighteen months.
During this period, the Malian people will have a temporary government with a military or civilian as president. West African countries previously insisted on a transition period of up to one year with a citizen as interim president.
The temporary president is elected by voters who are themselves nominated by the military administration, which initially wanted to elect the president themselves and advocated a transition period of two years. It is not clear when the interim president will be elected.
ECOWAS previously mentioned next Tuesday as a deadline. The alliance of fifteen West African states had imposed economic sanctions on Mali after the coup. They will discuss the Malian situation again on Tuesday.
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