Some 8 million Malians were called to the polls on Sunday (July 29th) for a first round of presidential elections against 24 candidates including President Ibrahima Boubacar Keita, known as IBK.
Due to the de facto division of the country between North and South and the chaotic situation in the center, the vote did not take place in 644 offices, and was disrupted in 3 988, says Mohamed Ag Erlaf, the Minister of Territorial Administration.
Well before the poll, which was held in 23,000 polling stations, the opposition had expressed concerns about the voter registration and the risk of fraud. “Every Malian and every Malian must also be vigilant against attempts at electoral fraud. This historic presidential election can not be confiscated, “said opponent Soumaila Cissé, the main challenger of President IBK, since his stronghold of Niafunké.
Another opponent in sight, Cheikh Modibo Diarra, a former NASA executive who should be one of the makers of kings.
For his part, the outgoing president, favorite against all odds, refutes the accusations of fraud. “There is only one electoral file,” IBK told reporters after voting in Bamako, the capital. Very well, the president denounces a “sterile and perfectly useless controversy” on the file containing the polling data.
Despite the multiplicity of applications, the Malian election campaign has not seen much debate on social projects and proposals for new models of development. The postures prevailed over the proposals and attempts at recovery (such as a Mamoudou Gassama, become famous after saving a small child from the balcony of a Parisian building, calling to vote for the re-election of President IBK) undermined the debate ideas.
With the exception, no doubt, of Modibo Koné, candidate of the Mali Kanu Movement. Newly arrived on the Malian political scene, the former senior executive of BOAD (West African Development Bank) was one of the candidates who delivered the most coherent economic program.
“Our belief is that it was time to go further in the valuation of the raw material. From the first transformation, we had to go to the second transformation, that is to say the passage of fiber to spinning, “he said at the opening of the campaign.
Beyond the programs and postures, a slogan was imposed: “Boua ka bla”, which means in Bambara “the Old Man” must leave. To which the supporters of IBK reply: “Boua ta bla” (“the” Old Man “must remain”). The ballot boxes will separate these two camps at the antipodes.
By Mohamed Baba Fall, Special Envoy
