Mali accepts new constitution

The agreement is said to strengthen the authority of the country’s president, who will be chosen democratically next year.

On Friday, Mali’s constitutional court upheld the final results of a referendum on a draught constitution, dismissing appeals seeking for the results to be annulled owing to claimed incidents and irregularities during the process.

The court affirmed the legitimacy of the June vote, which it stated saw 96.91% of voters in favour of a new constitution and 3.09% opposed.

The referendum is the first held in the West African country since the military took power in a coup in August 2020. According to reports, the military junta led by Assimi Goita will play a significant role in the new governmental system.

The former French colony’s head of state will now have the authority to formulate national policies, thanks to constitutional revisions.

Mali’s presidential elections are now slated for February 2024, after the junta failed to hold them last year as promised, defying regional and international pressure to return to democratic governance.

Malians who talked to RT, including Jean Zerbo, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bamako, believe the vote affirms the people’s will and that its implementation will define the country’s future.