Mali President Dissolves Constitutional Court After Unrest

Jul 11, 2020

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(Bloomberg) -- Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita dissolved the constitutional court Saturday after political tensions sparked major anti-government protests in the capital Bamako

The court is central to the West African country’s latest political crisis as it had overturned the results of a parliamentary poll held in March that was marred by the kidnapping of an opposition leader and allegations of fraud. Keita, 75, president since 2013, has yet to comment on the vote’s legitimacy.

Addressing the nation following a second day of unrest, Keita said he revoked the decrees appointing the remaining members of the court in order to find a solution to the electoral dispute. The leader has faced rising discontent over the contested polls as well as his government’s failure to tackle an escalating security crisis and contain the coronavirus outbreak.

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