Mali's ruling junta has announced a delay to a presidential election scheduled for February that was aimed at returning civilian leaders to power in the coup-hit West African nation.

The two rounds of voting -initially set for February 4 and 18, 2024 - "will be slightly postponed for technical reasons", government spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga said in a statement read out to reporters.

Those reasons include issues linked to the adoption this year of a new constitution and a review of the electoral lists, he said.

He also cited a dispute with the French company Idemia, which the junta says is involved in the census process.

"The new dates for the presidential election will be communicated later," Maiga said.

Another delay

Authorities are also refusing to organise legislative elections, initially scheduled for the end of 2023, before the presidential election.

The junta "has decided to organise, exclusively, the presidential election", the statement said.

Other elections will be held on a schedule "established by the new authorities, under the directives of the new president".

The postponement is yet another delay to the junta's schedule for handing back power to elected civilians.