The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

The selection of Mali to host the fourth meeting of the Community of Democracies in Bamako in November 2007 demonstrated how far this nascent democracy has come since the country’s first multiparty elections in 1992. Malians have held four sets of presidential and legislative elections that were deemed credible by domestic and international observers. In April 2009, Mali held local elections for the third time since the country’s transition from military to democratic rule.

Seven candidates challenged President Amadou Toumani Touré in the 2007 presidential poll. Though Touré was reelected with over 70 percent of the vote, the 2007 legislative elections reflected the emergence of divergent political views. The Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), the coalition of parties that supported Touré’s campaign, won a majority in the new National Assembly with 90 of the 147 seats. Unlike the former legislature, however, the new Assembly includes a declared opposition. As a further indication of Mali’s democratic progress, in June 2009 President Touré announced that he will respect the Malian constitution and not seek a third term in office in 2012. In April 2010 Touré announced plans to organize a national referendum on constitutional revisions to strengthen Mali’s democratic institutions. Proposed reforms include the creation of a Senate in the National Assembly and the institutionalization of the parliamentary opposition. The referendum is expected to be organized in late 2010.

Current Activities

Past Programs

Funding

Contact Information

  Subscribe to updates about Mali