January 18, 2021: The five-month-old interim government has a new problem; the recent loss of Soumaila Cissé, the popular and long-time opposition politician favored to win the next presidential election in 2022. The 71-year-old Cissé died from covid19 in late December. Now the interim Mali government has to take a closer look at other possible winners of the 2022 election. The August 2020 coup ejected a corrupt president but failed to establish a military government. Instead, the CNT (National Transitional Council), an interim (temporary) government was organized, at the insistence of local politicians and major foreign aid donors. The CNT has until March 2022 to organize new elections and disappear. The
: December 17, 2020: It’s been four months since the new interim government began operations, displacing the military group that took over in August. That military group is still around, just not officially in charge. Interim means this temporary government has until March 2022 to organize new elections and disappear. So far, members selected for the CNT (National Transitional Council) have been revealed, met for the first time and elected a president and vice-president. Both of these are army colonels who were part of the coup. This temporary legislative group will determine and approve measures required to maintain order and organize new elections in early 2022.