Mali's interim government is mindful of fixed election timeline - PM

FILE PHOTO: Malian opposition leader Choguel Maiga named transitional prime minister attends the inauguration ceremony of Colonel Assimi Goita the new interim president in Bamako, Mali, June 7, 2021. REUTERS/Amadou Keita

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's transitional government is conscious of its commitment to a fixed deadline for arranging elections to restore democracy after last year's coup, Prime Minister Choguel Maiga said on Friday.

Since a junta toppled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020, political factions in Mali and foreign partners have been watching to see if the military-led interim authorities will stick to a promise to hold elections within 18 months.