AFRICA/MALI - Religious leaders have been able to meet the President deposed by military coup

Bamako (Agenzia Fides) - "Yesterday afternoon, the religious leaders who are leading a negotiation to resolve the crisis caused by the coup, met with the leaders of the military junta. They then managed to visit the deposed government ministers, who are detained by soldiers, to be sure of their condition. They also had a brief exchange of greetings with President Amadou Toumani Touré. It seems that the prisoners conditions have improved compared to a few days ago", says to Fides Fr. Edmond Dembele, Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mali.
The military that took power with the coup on March 22, announced yesterday the adoption of a new Constitution, which establishes a transition period during which the Country will be governed by the junta (the Comité National pour le redressement de la Démocratie et la Restauration de l'Etat-the CNRDRE), no member will be able to canditate themselves in the next presidential and legislative elections.
"We do not know what the reaction of civil society will be towards the draft of the Constitution presented last night by the military junta", says Fr. Dembele, who adds: "There are some demonstrations for today. In particular, some political parties and associations have organized a march in support of the coup".
Fr. Dembele was part of the delegation of Catholic, Protestants and Muslims religious leaders, who yesterday met with the parties who support the military coup. "We wanted to better understand their position. They replied that, in their view, democracy requires more rigour and that they think there is too much laxity in the management of the State and therefore a change is needed. This change occurred in the form of military coup, and therefore we must support the regime created by the coup", says the priest. "Negotiations continue in order to find a way out," concluded Fr. Dembele.
Meanwhile, the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa), which condemned the coup, will send a delegation to propose a path to the military junta to return to democratic order. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/3/2012)