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Mali: Transitional leader may emerge Saturday
By Tasie Theodore
A transitional leader for the new government in Mali may emerge on Saturday, feelers from the country presently indicate.
According to sources, the final decision on the choice of the number of persons to constitute the new administration, the military-civilian ratio and the name of the head of government are now waiting upon the outcome of two meetings.
The first is a meeting of Heads of States of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS that is due to be held on Friday while the second is a meeting with the Malian opposition, M5, which formally endorsed the coup on Wednesday and promised to return on Saturday for a details session.
Former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was ousted by the military last Tuesday after months of street protests that had greeted the outcome of contentious parliamentary elections that his government had supervised.
While ECOWAS and several other intervening nations and organisations have publicly continued to insist that the democratic status quo be retained, the military junta which is led by Colonel Assimi Goita says the people of Mali should be allowed to exclusively decide the way forward.
Meanwhile, deposed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been permitted to return to his home in Bamako, Mali. It has however not been revealed on what terms and conditions the ousted leader was released but he had reportedly restated his disinterest in returning to his former job.
Col. Assimi Goita, Mali’s junta leader
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