European partnership for democracy, EPD

EPD welcomes director of the Malian Centre for Interparty Dialogue and Democracy

The European Partnership for Democracy wishes to extend a very warm welcome to Dr Moumouni Soumano, Executive Director of the Malian Centre for Interparty Dialogue and Democracy (or CMDID, to give it its French acronym), who is on a fact-finding and advocacy visit in Brussels. The CMDID is an organisation that serves a platform on which to bring together both governing and opposition parties in Mali to contribute to the consolidation of the country's democratic systems and institutions.

The CMDID was founded in 2008 with the aim of acting as a non-partisan facilitator of dialogue between different political factions. Its permanent staff is composed of researchers, negotiators and experts on political science. Under Dr Soumano's leadership, the CMDID has been supportive of the process of democratic consolidation that is well underway in Mali, bringing together ideas and giving advice. This year, it helped draft a road map that indicates ways to instigate greater electoral integrity, strengthen the country's democratic institutions and root out corruption. The CMDID also received support from the EPD's partner organisation, the Netherlands Centre for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD).
 
Whilst there may still be weaknesses in Mali's developing democracy, particularly concerning electoral registers, corruption and the ongoing review of the country's constitutional texts, Dr Soumano remains convinced that Mali is on the right track after two peaceful and democratic government transitions, but he feels his country is at a turning point: ‘We have presidential elections coming in 2012. The incumbent President, Amadou Toumani Toure, is obliged to step down, having served two full mandates. If he does so and is replaced peacefully and democratically, then Mali will have finally have proved itself to be a consolidated democracy.'  

For that to happen, however, Dr Soumano says the EU, its member states and other international actors must continue to assist Mali, in particular by providing the expertise on the development of democratic institutions that Dr Soumano fees is all too often lacking in his homeland. Furthermore, Dr Soumano reiterates the wording of the recently agreed Council Conclusions on Democracy Support in the EU's External Relations by calling on close cooperation and coordination between donor countries, in order to ensure external support is as effective as possible.

To learn more about the NIMD's support for the CMDID, click here.