Malians expected Sunday at the polls to elect new president

More than eight million Malians are expected Sunday to elect their new president among 24 candidates in the running, including outgoing President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé and a woman Djeneba N'Diaye.

The electoral campaign, which ended on Friday, took place in a context of strong competition between the various candidates who had multiplied during three weeks the initiatives and the actions of proximity in order to convince the Malians to adhere to their Society projects and to go massively to polling stations on polling day.

The 24 candidates running for the 29 July poll had mobilized all means of information and communication, including the media and social networks , to present the people their electoral programs, have reported titles of the Malian press.

The president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), Amadou BAH, stressed that the electoral register is reliable to serve as a basis for the organization of the elections of 2018. This file included, he said, 8 000 462 voters for 23 041 polling stations, while assuring that "Mali has created the conditions for peaceful elections and it is the responsibility of each actor to ensure that this objective is achieved".

The Electoral Commission has 4,788 permanent members in its structures deployed throughout the country in addition to support staff and security agents, he said.

Initial results are expected in the 48 hours, provisional official results no later than August 3, before a possible second round on August 12.

At the organizational level, the Malian authorities announced that they had taken all the necessary measures for the proper conduct of this election. .

The Malian Prime Minister, Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga, assured that the government scrupulously ensures the transparency of the electoral process and the setting up of the necessary means.

To allow the holding of the ballot on most of the territory more than 30,000 members of the security forces, both national and foreign, are mobilized, according to the Ministry of Homeland Security.

In terms of security, "today, we can to say that the minimum conditions are likely to be met, "said UN Chief of Mission (Minusma) Mahamat Saleh Annadif on the United Nations Radio in Mali Mikado FM, while calling for" vigilance ".

In the North, the politico-military groups that signed the peace and reconciliation agreement in Mali will also participate in securing the vote.

Among the main contenders are also the former head of transitional government, Cheick Modibo Diarra (April-December 2012), a professional astrophysicist, and businessman Aliou Boubacar Diallo

The participation rate is traditionally low, below 50%, at the first turn of the presidential election in the country.

The governor of Mopti (center), the general Sidi Alassane Touré, said himself "very optimistic" on the participation in this region, with regard to the more than 77% of withdrawal of the voter cards that it displays.

On the eve of the presidential election, President Keïta, often referred to by his initials, IBK, assured "to advance the boat Mali", in particularly difficult circumstances.

"Today, there is no more belligerence in Mali, "he told reporters on the plane that was taking him back from an electoral tour to the Malian diasporas of three Central African countries. "There are pockets of violence, traces of terrorism, because neither Serval nor Barkhane could have kicked out all the terrorists," he said.

Elected president on August 11, 2013, 77.6% of votes in the second round, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta said he was also engaged in the race for the highest office to obtain a second term that will allow him to finalize what he had already started.

"What is most important to me is the Agreement for Peace and National Reconciliation and its Implementation, Development. When you see the four-lane road, that's the development. It is that I wish everywhere in Mali, "he argued, while the leader of the opposition chose for slogan" Together restore hope. "

The Malian Prime Minister announced the opening the observation of all phases of the election, including the centralization, the participation of all international organizations, including the African Union, the European Union, the Minusma (UN mission), ECOWAS and the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF)

"Their observers will be able to attend at the same time as the representatives of the candidates for the centralization of the results," he said.

With regard to the supervision of this election, the African Union announced that it had solicited Thomas Yayi Boni, former president of Benin, with a long experience in the field. APS