Monsieur Touré goes to Washington

The Washington, DC-based Center for Global Development discusses the recent trip the US capital by Mali's president Amadou Toumani Touré.

The CGD is generally positive about President Touré's government. He certainly seems to have avoided the excesses of some of his neighbors (the intolerance toward opposition of Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade; the xenophobia of Cote d'Ivoire's ruling party).

Though one noter expresses the fear that Touré's no-party regime of national unity is largely built upon the fragile foundation of his personality and charisma rather than a coherent program designed to strengthen democratic institutions such as political parties and the national assembly.

In a region where power tends to be overly concentrated in the hands of the presidency, this is a key concern.