Article 14 of Mali’s electoral law states that the CENI is in charge of overseeing national and international electoral observations. It provides accreditation to organizations which express the desire to observe elections. Generally, other electoral authorities such as the Ministry of Territorial Affairs or the DGE provide observers with the all the available information regarding the electoral process. In Mali, most electoral observations are conducted by national observers. However, regional and international observers also conduct observation missions.
National observers
The network of NGOS Supporting the Electoral Process (APEM) is the main civil society organization that observes all elections. APEM’s observations cover the entire electoral process, beginning with the training of impartial observers who observe at first the general electoral atmosphere of the country. Their observations last through all of the electoral operations of Election Day and continue to be made concerning the post-electoral context of the country. Consequently, APEM has developed expertise in the objective observation and monitoring of elections.
Additionally, the Constitutional Court deploys delegates to monitor elections because it is the institution in charge of regulating referendum elections as well as proclaiming the results of legislative and presidential elections.
The CENI is in charge of supervising the electoral operations of referendum elections and general elections.
Regional and international observers
These are mainly observers deployed by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), WAEMU (West African Monetary and Economic Union), OIF (The International Organization of French Speaking Countries), and to a lesser degree, the Carter Center. The various observers who are deployed in Mali develop partnerships by conducting joint investigation missions and exchanging information with other observers. In April 2013, an exploratory mission of the European Union was sent to Mali where it met with authorities in charge of organizing elections and some civil society organizations involved in the electoral process.
Useful links and documentary resources
- The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, Election Observation Portal: Mali: http://aceproject.org/electoral-advice/dop?country=Mali&organization=&year=&election=&mission=&report=&keywords=
- Réseau ONG d’Appui au Processus Électoral au Mali -Réseau APEM. (2011) « Synthèse du rapport général de l’observation préélectorale sur la révision des listes électorales », document non publié
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