Opposition grows to military role in post-coup Mali

Mounting opposition to the military role in post-coup Mali contrasts with a rally in September to applaud the army for forcing out the country's unpopular president. [AFP]

A leading opposition group on Wednesday warned of a military stranglehold on Mali's post-coup government and called for "resistance.... to save democracy" in the Sahel state. 

The statement from the opposition June 5 Movement, or M5, follows a decree published on Tuesday that gave coup leader Colonel Assimi Goita veto power over Mali's new legislative body.

M5 is an alliance of political parties, trade unions and religious figures that was at the forefront of protests against president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita this year, which culminated in a military coup on August 18. 

Facing international sanctions, the putschists handed power to an interim civilian government between September and October. This administration is meant to rule for 18 months before staging elections. 

But Mali's military retains a strong role in the interim government. Retired army colonel Bah Ndaw is serving as interim president, while junta head Goita is his vice president. 

The government on Tuesday also empowered Goita to sign off on members of the 121-seat national transition council, which is the planned interim legislative body.

"It is unacceptable that the vice president of the transition... should have censorship power to choose between good and bad candidates," M5 said in a statement late Wednesday. 

The opposition alliance also pointed out that Goita remains the leader of the military junta, which was never formally dissolved.

M5 is set to receive eight seats in the 121-seat interim council, according to recently published decrees. Members of the defence and security forces are set to receive 22. 

'Disguised military regime'

The M5 declared it would not serve "as a stooge for a disguised military regime".

It called on "all patriotic, political and social forces to come together, to return to resistance and stand together to save democracy and the republic."

Outside of the capital Bamako, Mali has been struggling to contain a brutal jihadist insurgency which first emerged in 2012.

Anger over the enduring conflict, as well as over perceived corruption, contributed to the protests which culminated in Keita's ouster. 

The M5 is not the only voice to protest.

Yacouba Doumbia, a leader in ousted president Keita's party, said the parties in former governing majority "met yesterday and decided not to participate in the transition council."

Another organisation called Esperance Nouvelle (New Hope), which claims to represent a number of parties and association, has also said no.

Leading figures in civil society and business have also signed an open letter expressing concern about the slow pace of the transition to civilian rule and about the pre-eminent role of the military in the process.

After an initial period of grace, "the first warning lights are flashing and are fuelling legitimate anxieties," they said, referring to signs of social unrest and especially the problem of violence.