A national political forum in Mali has proposed making military leader Assimi Gota the countrys president, with a five-year renewable term starting in 2025.

The recommendation would change Malis transitional charter the temporary legal framework put in place after the 2021 coup to install General Gota as president for a five-year renewable term from 2025, like his peers in the AES, according to a statement from the Prime Ministers office.

TheAESor Alliance of Sahel States includesMali,NigerandBurkina Faso, all ruled by military governments. Niger made a similar move in March, naming its coup leader Abdourahamane Tiani president with a renewable five-year term.

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Parties could be dissolved

The forum also called for the dissolution of all existing political parties and stricter rules for creating new ones. Of Malis 297 recognised parties, only 137 took part in the talks. Many boycotted the event.

Critics fear the proposals could end Malis multi-party system, which was introduced after the fall ofGeneral Moussa Traors military dictatorship in 1991.

That shift marked the countrys return to civilian rule after more than two decades of authoritarian rule.

Its the same proposal across all regions, so we understand its the juntas will. Its a diktat, said Ismal Sacko, the exiled president of the PSDA party and a member of the Sahel Democracy Coalition.

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Elections on hold

Delegates also recommended suspending all election planning until the country is pacified. They said the current leaders need more time to govern.

The military had originally promised elections in February 2022, but that date has been pushed back several times.

Malihas faced violence for more than 10 years, with armed groups linked to al Qaeda and theIslamic Stategroup active in the north and centre of the country.

Supporters of the proposals say the goal is to clean up Malis political system. The Initiative of Political Parties for the Charter, known as Ipac, represents many of Malis older political parties.

It has not opposed reforms in principle and submitted its own ideas in March. Ipac suggested reducing the number of parties and introducing tighter controls on public funding to prevent misuse.

Gota yet to respond

General Gota, 41, led coups in 2020 and 2021. He became President of the Transition in 2021 and was promoted to five-star general in October 2024.

He has not yet said whether he will adopt the forums recommendations.

Originally published on RFI