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.