<zksmith@email.unc.edu>


Mali Election Update #5 May 7, 1997

It looked for a few days that the Malian oppositions boycott of
Presidential elections had lost steam after one opposition
candidate broke ranks with the others and declared himself a
candidate.  On May 2, Mamadou Diaby, leader of the small Party
for Unity, Progress and Democracy (PUDP), announced that he
would run against incumbent Alpha Oumar Konare in spite of the
oppositions boycott.  It was expected that some of the other 8
previously announced candidates would follow his lead but that
has not been the case over the past week.

Instead, the two opposition groupings have closed ranks and
refused to field candidates for the presidential elections
scheduled for Sunday, May 11.  The Front for Change and
Democracy, (a grouping of left leaning and reform parties) and
the Rally of Patriotic Forces (right leaning, primarily
supporters of former dictator Moussa Traore) have submitted an
appeal to the Constitutional Court to freeze the election
process until it can be guaranteed that a repeat of April 13ths
chaotic legislative elections can be avoided.  The
Constitutional Court, having already thrown out the results of
the legislative elections is expected to rule on this appeal at
any moment.

On Tuesday May 6, three former members of the independent
National Electoral Commission made a public appeal for the
postponement of the elections dates and the establishment of a
new transitional government to include members of the ruling
ADEMA party, oppositions parties and the military.  This
government would then re-organize and carry out the electoral
process.

Konare and ADEMA insist that elections must go forward on May
11.  After a one week postponement to try to meet some
opposition concerns Konare now argues that the elections must be
held immediately to avoid a constitutional crisis -- the
presidents current mandate expires on June 5, five years after
Konare initially took office.

Two unions have complicated the situation by choosing to strike
this week. Workers at the national utilities agency Energy of
Mali has engaged a strike aimed at ousting the agencies leader.
This has meant that electric and water service is sporadic at
best throughout the capital this week.

Of even more concern are the renewed protests of Malis national
student union (AEEM).  On Tuesday, May 6 students burned tires
in the streets creating road blocks around Bamako and clashed
with the police.  Some students burned large election posters
of Konare and party banners.  The students were protesting to
gain further concessions from the government but ADEMA
supporters revived the common refrain that the students were
acting on orders from the political opposition.  There were five
reported injuries and the youths were eventually dispersed by
tear gas.

In response to the student unrest, the government spokesman
announced the closer of all schools for one week.  This
announcement was made Tuesday evening, (May 6)and is effective
for one week.

Student activists have played a key role in Malis political
evolution during the past 30 years including leading protests
that ended Moussa Traores 23 year reign in 1991, and causing the
resignation of two prime ministers during Konares term in office
in 1993 and 1994.  ADEMA has always charged that students are
simply pawns of opposition politicians which the AEEM vigorously
denies stressing that their protests are aimed at meeting the
legitimate needs of Malis students.  My own research, which has
focused on the politics of the AEEM, indicates that both the
opposition and ADEMA have made numerous attempts to co-opt and
control the students but in spite of this they have usually been
successful at guarding their political autonomy.  It is
impossible for me to judge whether this is currently the case.

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