Mali civilian coalition rejects junta’s transition programme

Imam Mahmoud Dicko: his coalition group reject’s transition document

The M5-RFP coalition in Mali that led anti-government protests before last month’s coup has rejected a political charter pushed through by the ruling junta on Saturday, M5-RFP said.

M5-RFP said the final version of the charter did not reflect the results of talks, which it said included a majority vote for a civilian interim president.

“M5-RFP distances itself from the resulting document which does not reflect the views and decisions of the Malian people,” it said in a statement released late on Saturday.

After three days of negotiations with political leaders and civil society groups, the junta’s roadmap was meant to chart an agreed transition for Mali after the Aug. 18 coup that toppled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Under the junta’s charter, the interim president can be a civilian or a soldier and will preside over a transitional period of 18 months before elections are held, according to Moussa Camara, a spokesman for the talks.

According to the Transition Charter, a government will be formed with a maximum of 25 members under the leadership of a prime minister who will be appointed by the transitional president in accordance with the current Constitution.

Also, during the period of transition, a National Council of 121 members composed of those from the political forces of Mali will be set up as the legislative body.

In a brief closing speech, Colonel Assimi Goita, president of the CNSP, welcomed the spirit that animated these meetings and made the commitment that the junta will rigorously ensure the implementation of the documents validated by the participants after the three-day consultations.

The junta will still have a problem with ECOWAS leaders, who asked for a year’s transition to civilian rule and also wanted a civilian head of a transition government.