Local Elections

There are plenty of things going on here for a change- or, as they say in French : Ca Bouge.

For a start: today the Elections legislatives are held all over Mali. This is an event which doesn’t really get me too excited, but thought I’d mention it. The turn-out will be much lower than for the presidential, and I really don’t care who gets in for Djenne, since I am afraid I don’t hold much faith that either of the main candidates will do what they are supposed to do: consult their constituents and report back to them.  BUT, who knows, there is perhaps a growing awareness in people that they have the right to demand this from their MP? Let’s hope so…

The elections have one great benefit for Hotel Djenne Djenno: the International Election Observers  are staying at the hotel and eating here too.  There are two nice young European men staying: one Hungarian and one Romanian, sent here by the European Union.  And then there are two Africans: one from Liberia and one from Sierra Leone.  Keita  giggled about this: ‘ Those two  great bastions of Democracy and Human Rights are overseeing our elections!’ Malians, inspite of their two year crisis, still feel that they lie well over the West African average when it comes to progress, civilization  and democracy…