Mali’s transitional government has taken a drastic step in overhauling the nation’s political system by dissolving all political parties and affiliated organizations across the country.
The decree, announced on state television ORTM1 on Tuesday by Minister Delegate for Political Reforms and Electoral Process Support, Mamani Nassiré, was enacted following an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers held earlier in the day.
Known as Decree 2025-0339 PTRM, the directive immediately prohibits any gatherings or activities by the now-defunct political parties and outlines penalties for any violations.
The sweeping measure also dictates that individuals currently holding political or administrative positions due to party appointments can remain in their roles but are explicitly barred from acting as representatives of their former parties.
This dramatic decision follows closely on the heels of the National Transitional Council’s (CNT) approval on May 12th of a bill that repeals Mali’s existing Political Parties Charter (Law No. 05-047 of August 18, 2005) and the Status of the Political Opposition (Law No. 2015-007 of March 4, 2015). The bill passed with a significant majority of 130 votes in favor, 2 against, and no abstentions during the CNT’s April ordinary session.
The transitional government has justified this radical move as a necessary step to streamline a political landscape it deems excessively fragmented. It cited feedback gathered from national consultations held in April, both within Mali and among the diaspora, as evidence of widespread popular support for comprehensive political reform. The national phase of these consultations took place in Bamako on April 28th and 29th, following regional discussions on April 16th and 17th.
However, this decision has already ignited unrest within the country. On May 3rd, protests erupted in response to what critics perceive as a growing trend of political centralization and the erosion of civil liberties under the current military leadership.
Minister Nassiré defended the dissolution of political parties as an integral part of broader efforts to rebuild the Malian state, referencing the 2021 National Assizes on Refoundation, which yielded 517 recommendations for systemic reform.
He assured the public that a new legal framework governing political organization will be drafted in the coming months, incorporating input from a diverse range of stakeholders, with the ultimate aim of establishing “peaceful and orderly political governance aligned with the aspirations of the Malian people.” The international community is likely to closely monitor the developments following this significant political upheaval in Mali.
AC/lb/abj/APA