With an overwhelming 67 percent of vote, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been re-elected as the President of Mali in a runoff after a controversial first round of voting last month.
His opposition candidate, Soumaila Cisse, who also ran against Keita in 2013, secured 32 percent of the votes. The former finance minister denounced the results and vowed to fight against the same.
In the first round, Keïta won 41.4 percent of the vote, while Cissé, won 17.8 percent, the Ministry of Territorial Administration said. A candidate needed 50 percent to win outright and avoid a runoff.
Keita, 73, will take office on September 4 to serve his second five-year term. The citizens of Mali were not surprised with Keita’s win who had a near monopoly over campaigning resources such as access to the state television.
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Security was a central issue in the election, which saw a low turnout and voter apathy.