[ad_1]
More than eight million Malians are being called to the polls on Sunday to reappoint President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, elected in 2013 after the international intervention against the jihadists, or to give their favor to one of his 23 competitors including the head of the opposition, Soumaïla Cissé.
The international community, present militarily with the UN Mission (Minusma) and the French force Barkhane, expects from this election a revival of the application of the peace agreement signed in May. June 2015 between the government camp and the former Tuareg-dominated rebellion, an application that accumulates delays.
Despite this agreement, jihadist violence not only persisted but spread from the north to the center and south of the country. country, under a state of emergency virtually uninterrupted since November 2015, then in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, often mingling with inter-communal conflicts.
The first results are a extended within 48 hours, provisional official results by 3 August at the latest. And, on August 12, a possible second round.
The campaign that ends Friday evening was marked by a controversy on the electoral lists, the opposition denouncing a risk of fraud.
Soumaïla's team Cissé, who was largely beaten in the second round by Mr. Keïta in 2013, denounced discrepancies between the file used to prepare voters' cards and the one put online, which includes, according to him, duplicates, voters and polling stations. fictitious votes.
"There are no two files, there is only one file", assured the Minister of Territorial Administration, Mohamed Ag Erlaf, explaining the anomalies by a computer server problem. [19659002] – "A concern, insecurity" –
Accused by his opponents, including several of his former ministers, bad governance and failed to stabilize the country, President Keïta, often referred to by his initials, IBK , ensures "to advance the boat Mali ", in particularly difficult circumstances
At most, he admits that" pockets of violence, residues of terrorism "remain.
The Leader of the Opposition, who chose for his motto" Together restaurons the hope ", insists on" the urgency to save Mali ", that the outgoing leads to its loss, according to him.
Another candidate, the wealthy businessman Aliou Boubacar Diallo, saw in an attack this week against a convoy of his campaign team north of Bamako this week the proof that IBK had "failed" in terms of security, judging it "totally disqualified for the next five years".
" Wherever we went, it is this insecurity that is the main concern of Malians, "said Diallo, who is supported by Sharif Bouyé Haidara, a prominent Muslim religious leader.
main contenders former Transitional Head of State, Cheick Modibo Diarra (April-December 2012), a professional astrophysicist, who was joined by a former Prime Minister.
Are also in the running, among the 24 candidates, including one only woman, the mayor of Sikasso (south), Kalifa Sanogo, former Prime Minister Modibo Sidibe, former minister and military Moussa Sinko Coulibaly, as well as senior international officials
– Low expected participation – [19659002] Faced with the risk that the ballot may not be held in part of the territory, more than 30,000 members of the security and defense forces have been mobilized for the protection of candidates in the field and voting operations, according to the Ministry of Security
In the northern regions of the country, where the state is little or not present, the armed groups that signed the peace agreement must also contribute to securing the vote.
Barkh's troops The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, visiting the neighboring Niger, said last week
"The security of Mali during the presidential election will also mobilize our forces". it says, judging it necessary to "dissuade those who would taint the choice of ballot boxes by the blood of men and (to) react quickly in case of attacks."
Despite these provisions, the participation rate is traditionally low in the first turn of the presidential election in Mali, lower than 50%.
Tensions also appeared between authorities and media that came to cover the polls. A French TV5 crew was violently arrested on 22 July at the exit of the Bamako airport and released after two hours.
Reporters without Borders (RSF) denounced Wednesday acts of "the intimidation and obstruction ", in a statement Wednesday, saying he received assurances from the Minister of Communication, Arouna Modibo Toure, on the free coverage of the poll.
The European Union (EU) has deployed dozens of observers, whose numbers must reach 80 by the day of the vote.
Source link
