Malians went to the polls on Sunday in presidential elections expected to hand the incumbent a second five-year term and boost the West African country’s democratic credentials.
Amadou Toumani Touré, a former coup leader who won democratic acclaim after handing power to civilian rule following the military takeover in the early 1990s, is seeking a new term as an independent candidate.
After retiring from the army, he stood for elections and won the 2002 vote. This time around he enjoys the backing of two large coalitions and myriad smaller parties.
The former general ousted dictator Moussa Traore in 1991, and installed a multiparty system before handing over power to civilians, in a rare transition of power in the region.
He faces seven other aspirants, the most credible being key opposition figure Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a former prime minister and head of the National Assembly.
Keita, who came third in the first round of the 2002 polls, is part of a coalition that is fielding three other candidates in Sunday’s vote.
The four men have signed an electoral pact for the second round, but many observers believe this is risky given the high chance Touré will win on Sunday.
About 19 000 polling stations in this vast West African country opened at about 8am local time and were to close 10 hours later.
Initial turnout of voters appeared higher than in previous rounds of elections in several parts of the capital. ”This year we have lots of people in the morning, much more than is usual,” said Kassim Taboure, a returning officer at one polling station in Bamako.
Observers have expressed fears that Sunday’s election could be marked by voter apathy after fewer than two-thirds of the approximately 6,8-million potential voters bothered to collect their polling identification cards.
In the last elections in 2002 and 1997, voter turnout in the former French colony fell under 25%.
More than 1 000 international observers are expected to witness Sunday’s vote. Final results are expected on Wednesday or Thursday.
Despite being the third largest gold-producer in Africa, Mali is the world’s third-poorest country.
A landlocked and semi-arid state south of the Sahara Desert, it covers 1 240 000 square kilometres and is bordered by Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea and Mauritania. The majority of its 13,5-million people live in rural areas.
Mali gained independence from France in 1960, and was led by president Modibo Keita until he was overthrown in 1968 by Traore. After 23 years in power, Traore’s regime was overthrown by an armed insurrection in March 1991 led by Touré. — Sapa-AFP