Friday’s electoral body announced that 97% of Malians voted for constitutional amendments in Sunday’s referendum.
Regional powers and Mali’s military junta, which primarily planned and supported the referendum, said it would lead to elections in February 2024 and civilian governance.
In Bamako, electoral commission director Moustapha Cisse announced that 39.4% of the country’s 8.4 million registered voters voted.
Proponents of the transitional council’s new constitution say it will reinforce weak democratic institutions, while opponents worry it will give the president too much authority.
However, regional organizations and the UN view the referendum as a crucial test of the junta’s commitment to the transition and a countrywide democratic process, especially as Islamist extremists increase attacks.
Election observers reported several security problems.
After gunmen stormed election centers in many towns, observers reported, voters fled.
Northern Mali’s al Qaeda and Islamic State-controlled districts saw little voting.
Since the 2012 Tuareg rebellion, West Africa Sahel has battled for stability. Northern armed factions that signed a 2015 peace deal boycotted the referendum, calling it “not sufficiently inclusive.”
