THE WRONG PEOPLE DO THE RIGHT THING: ELECTORAL

UNCLAS BAMAKO 000055

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EFIN ECON ML
SUBJECT: THE WRONG PEOPLE DO THE RIGHT THING: ELECTORAL
CODE OF CONDUCT SIGNED


1. All of Mali's major political parties were among
thirty-four signatories in a ceremony January 11 to
inaugurate an electoral "Code of Conduct." The code was
developed in conjunction with the National Democratic
Institute and a Dutch NGO in advance of Mali's 2007
Presidential and Legislative elections, and bind signatories
to promote a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.
Participating alongside the political parties were Government
entities, including the National Electoral Commission (CENI),
the Commission for Equal Access to the Media (CNEAME) and the
Ministry of Territorial Administration (MATCL),the ministry
responsible for administering elections.


2. Highlights among the Code's 44 provisions are pledges not
to make personal attacks, buy votes, or purchase and
distribute campaign T-shirts and related clothing.
Violations of the code "will expose the authors to the public
denunciation" of the CENI, the CNEAME, and MATCL. NGO and
party activists praised the code as a significant step in
promoting a peaceful electoral process and strengthening
civil democratic discourse in Mali.


3. The cloud surrounding the silver lining is that two of
the three expected presidential candidates, including the
incumbent, are likely to run as independents, and are thus
not bound by the code. President Toure is not expected to
sign it himself, and, for example, could claim that T-shirts
and other more expensive campaign gifts were procured and
distributed without his direct involvement. Soumeylou Boubey
Maiga's situation is a bit more complicated: he will run as
an independent under the rubric of "Convergence 2007" while
trying to maintain his membership in ADEMA, Mali's largest
political party. ADEMA signed the code, but ADEMA leaders
are maneuvering to expel Maiga from the party for his failure
to adhere to their decision to support ATT. Whether they
succeed or not, as an independent candidate Maiga appears to
be under no obligation to honor ADEMA's pledge.


4. COMMENT: The intent of the code is noble, but will likely
get obscured, if not lost completely, in the reality of
Malian politics. It would be a refreshing change to see one
of Africa's poorest countries avoid the t-shirts and other
expenses typical of a political campaign, but considering the
lively campaign already engaging Malians, we still expect to
see President Toure's face on t-shirts in April - and despite
the code's prohibition on personal attacks, we expect Mali's
vibrant and vocal political activists to have something to
say about it.
MCCULLEY