The military regime in Mali has taken a decisive step forward. General Assimi Goïta has officially installed himself as President of the Republic, without election, for a term renewable at will. This decision is part of a deliberate process of institutional closure, in the name of stability.
On Thursday 10 July 2025, General Assimi Goïta officially took over the reins of the Republic of Mali, following the promulgation of a law by the National Transition Council (CNT). The law, unanimously adopted on 3 July 2025, gives the President a five-year term of office, renewable indefinitely without recourse to an election. The text specifies that this mandate could last until the conditions for a « transparent and peaceful » election are met. Goïta is thus firmly established as head of state until at least 2030, with a tailor-made legal legitimacy.
Power is maintained without an elective mandate, creating a democratic vacuum that further weakens rather than strengthens the Malian state. We need to understand that we cannot fight instability in the long term with institutions that are themselves fragile and unstable.
KOUADIO EL MOUDJTABAR VINY, Political analyst
This extension of the mandate is in line with the recommendations made by the Forces vives de la nation in April 2025. These called for an alignment with the ESA Confederation, allowing the President to continue to govern until the country is stabilised. The Malian authorities justify this decision by the persistence of insecurity, making any election impossible. The junta claims that the priority is to ensure security before considering a return to the ballot box.
The new Transition Charter clearly paves the way for the elimination of all democratic competition. We are faced with a confiscated transition, in which the security rationale is used by the Malian authorities to lock out the political game, to the detriment of the reconstruction that the Malian people were waiting for.
KOUADIO EL MOUDJTABAR VINY, Political analyst
The revision of the Malian Charter, approved by the CNT, further consolidates military power. From now on, only members of the government, the CNT and the transitional president will be able to stand for office in future elections. This reform, although accompanied by talk of transparency, establishes an authoritarian regime, marking Mali’s move away from democracy. A major turning point for a country beset by political and security turbulence.
