Bamako, Malians are voting today in a second
round presidential election to determine if incumbent Ibrahim Boubacar
Keita will remain in office. He faces off against opposition leader
Soumaila Cisse.
Sunday’s polls opened to light rain and light turnout. Many worry
that the vote could be marred by violence. In the July 29 first-round
presidential vote, extremists killed three election workers and destroyed
some voting materials.
Nearly 43 percent of voters made it to the polls last month and
at least 671 polling stations were closed. Despite the relatively low
turnout, officials called the vote well-conducted.
Mali has grown more insecure since Keita beat Cisse in a
second round election in 2013.
Still, a second term for Keita, 73, seems likely. He received
41.7 percent of the vote in the first round from a field of 24 candidates
and has gained endorsements from some other candidates, the
Associated Press (AP) news reported.
Source: Oman News Agency