| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Assemblée Nationale / National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) (from/to) | 1 July 2007
22 July 2007 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all seats in the National Assembly on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
Parliamentary elections in July 2007 followed the re-election of President Amadou Toumani Touré in May. A total of 1
408 candidates
including 227 women
contested the 147 seats in the National Assembly.
In 2006
the government had proposed a 30 per cent quota for women among party-list candidates. However
after a heated debate in parliament
the electoral law was adopted without this provision. As a result
the number of female candidates remained low.
Though President Touré is not a member of a political party
he backed the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP) which comprises 30 political parties and many associations (see note). The ADP was formed on the initiative of the Alliance for Democracy in Mali-African Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA-PASJ
45 seats in the 2002 elections)
led by Mr. Dioncounda Traoré
and the Republic and Democracy Union (URD) of Mr. Soumaïla Cissé. Mr. Cissé had defected from the ADEMA-PASJ and formed the URD after being defeated by Mr. Touré in the 2002 presidential elections. President Touré called for voters' support for the ADP and urged massive participation in the elections.
The main opposition figure was former prime minister and outgoing Speaker of the National Assembly
Mr. Ibrahim Boubacar Kéita. He had left the ADEMA-PASJ in 2000 and formed the Rally for Mali (RPM)
which had won 46 seats in the 2002 elections. He finished second in the 2007 presidential elections. The RPM pledged to promote democracy
establish good governance and share the benefits of development. The RPM was part of the Democracy and Republic Front (FDR)
which also comprised the National Renaissance Party (PARENA)
led by Mr. Tiébilé Dramé
another unsuccessful presidential candidate. He led the election campaign under the slogan "A different Mali is possible".
The African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence (SADI) did not align itself with any coalition. It was led by Mr. Oumar Mariko
who came in fourth in the 2007 presidential elections. He opposed the privatization of State-owned companies.
In all
33 per cent of the 6.2 million registered voters turned out for the first round
held on 1 July
while turnout was even lower in the second round held on 22 July (reportedly between 10 and 12 per cent).
Some 900 observers
including 200 international observers
monitored the polls. No major irregularities were recorded. The observers from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) declared the elections to be well organized
but regretted the low turnout.
In the first round of the parliamentary elections
13 ADP candidates were elected.
The second round was held on 22 July for the remaining 134 seats in 47 constituencies. The ADP took 101 more seats
winning 114 seats in all. Outgoing Speaker Kéita's RPM picked up 11 seats in all. Together with the PARENA
the FDR took 15 seats. The SADI took four seats while the other seats went to independent candidates. Only 27 members of the outgoing legislature were re-elected. Fifteen women were elected.
The newly elected National Assembly was convened on 3 September and elected Mr. Dioncounda Traoré (ADEMA-PASJ) as its new Speaker.
Note:
The following parties of the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP) entered the newly elected National Assembly:
- Alliance for Democracy in Mali-African Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA-PASJ): 51 seats
- Republic and Democracy Union (URD): 35 seats
- Patriotic Movement for Renewal (MPR): 9 seats
- Democratic Initiative National Congress of Mali (CNID): 7 seats
- Democracy and Development Union (UDD): 3 seats
- Bloc of Changeover for Renaissance
Integration and African Cooperation (BARICA): 2 seats*
- Movement for Independence
Renaissance and African Integration (MIRIA): 2 seats*
- Democracy and African Integration Bloc (BDIA): 1 seat*
- Solidarity and Progress Party (PSP): 1 seat
- Citizens for Renewal Party (PCR): 1 seat*
- African Democratic Rally (RDA): 1 seat*
- National Democratic Rally (RND): 1 seat*
* These parties formed the Alliance for the Consolidation of the Majority following the elections (see the note on the final composition of the National Assembly). The BARICA
the MIRIA
and the PCR entered the parliament for the first time.
The Democracy and Republic Front (FDR) comprises the following parties:
- Rally for Mali (RPM): 11 seats
- National Renaissance Party (PARENA): 4 seats
Note on the final composition of the National Assembly:
On 18 September
eight parliamentary groups were formed and were validated by the Constitutional Court on 19 September. The ADEMA-PASJ became the largest group with 46 members
followed by the URD with 29. Some 24 members formed a group of independents. The Alliance for the Consolidation of the Majority had 13 members
most of whom had supported President Touré in the 2007 elections (see note). The RPM formed a separate parliamentary group comprising 11 members. The PARENA and the SADI formed a parliamentary group composed of nine members. The Patriotic Movement for Renewal (MPR) had eight members and the Democratic Initiative National Congress of Mali (CNID) seven. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 (from/to) | 1 July 2007
22 July 2007 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
6'267'363
32.19%
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP) |
114
|
|
|
|
|
| Democracy and Republic Front (FDR) |
15
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
14
|
|
|
|
|
| African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence (SADI) |
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
132
15
10.20%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
31 to 40 years
41 to 50 years
51 to 60 years
61 to 70 years
Unknown
|
12
50
62
20
3
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
| Liberal professions (including artists
authors) and sports professionals |
35 |
| Educators |
31 |
| Civil/public servants/administrators (including social/development workers) |
25 |
| Business/trade/industry employees
including executives |
11 |
| Others |
9 |
| Economists |
9 |
| Legal professions |
5 |
| Farmers/agricultural workers (including wine growers) |
5 |
| Bankers (including invest bankers)/accountants |
4 |
| Unknown |
3 |
| Medical professions (doctors
dentists
nurses) |
2 |
| Clerical occupations |
2 |
| Engineers/PC experts |
2 |
| Consultants (including real estate agents) |
1 |
| Media-related professions (journalists/publishers) |
1 |
| Scientists and researchers |
1 |
| Architects |
1 |
|
| Comments |
| Source: National Assembly (15.08.2007
27.02.2008) |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
