UNITED NATIONS, March 4 (NNN-XINHUA) — The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali commends the national transition authority for the unanimous, swift adoption of amendments to the electoral law, a UN spokesman said.
“Our colleagues say that this is an important step toward the operationalization of the new body in charge of managing elections in the country, the Independent Authority for the Management of Elections,” said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Haq said the amendments include a shorter deadline for setting up electoral management branches, introducing a biometric national ID card to serve as a voter card and allowing early voting for the Malian defense forces.
The mission, known as MINUSMA, “welcomes this new development and stands ready to support the organization of free, credible and transparent elections, conducted in a peaceful environment,” said Haq.
The spokesman added that MINUSMA also encourages prompt action toward defining the boundaries of the new administrative and electoral constituencies, in line with recently adopted legislation on Mali’s territorial reorganization.
One of the poorest landlocked countries in the world on the Sahara desert, Mali has been rocked by deadly jihadist raids and political instability. However, the military government that ousted the civilian government in 2021 has set March 2024, after a series of ballots, for a return to constitutional order. — NNN-XINHUA
