Ballots are being counted in Mali following a referendum on a new constitution held on Sunday, which the interim leader believes would allow the West African country to return to civilian administration after two coups in recent years.
The new draft constitution calls for the establishment of a two-chamber legislature, the National Assembly and the Senate, in place of the current single-chamber legislature.
Colonel Assimi Goita, the country’s interim president, has promised to return it to civilian administration following the presidential election in February 2024.
The results of the voting on Sunday will be announced in the coming days.
For years, Mali has been plagued by political turmoil, fueled by an Islamist insurgency. Since 2020, when then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was deposed following major protests over his handling of terrorist violence, the country has been administered by military commanders.
According to Sidylamine Bagayoko, an associate professor at the University of Bamako, voters “were not enthusiastic” about voting. He believes, however, that “Mali will soon have a new constitution.”
