Malians are set to go back to the ballot on Sunday for the presidential run-off election despite allegations of fraud in the first round.
Current president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita won the first round of voting with 41 percent, less than the over 50 percent required to attain an absolute majority needed to gain an outright win. This is the first time a sitting president will face a run-off election.
Soumaila Cissé came second with 18 percent, and will now face off with president Keita in Sunday’s vote.
The opposition has been adamant it will not accept the results of what it has repeatedly called a rigged election. Around 250,000 people were unable to vote in the first round because of insecurity in central and northern Mali.
18 of the 24 candidates demanded the resignation of the opposition chief calling the vote an electoral hold up, but the constitutional court dismissed the complaints saying most of them had been received after the 48 hour deadline.
There are over 8.4 million registered voters in Mali, but only 3.2 million cast their ballots in the first round. President Keita and his opponent Cissé will be hoping more people participate in tomorrow’s run-off vote, which will either give the president a new five-year mandate or a usher in a fresh reign.
