mali. A first round hailed by Europeans

(BRUSSELS2) As expected! The first round of Mali's presidential election - held on Sunday (July 28) went as best as desired, according to international reactions. The ballot took place peacefully and the turnout is high for a country like Mali where it is usually low.

A ballot without "major incident" and a strong turnout

The High Representative, Catherine Ashton, through her spokesperson, thus hailed " the holding in calm and serenity of the voting operations ". Turnout would be relatively high, especially in the south of the country. " (Catherine Ashton) notes that, according to initial information from the Malian administration and international observers throughout the country, Malian voters have largely mobilized to ensure the success of this election. »

French President François Hollande also hailed " the smooth running of the Malian presidential election, marked by significant mobilization and the absence of any major incident ". That "testifies to the attachment of Malians to democratic values. It's a chance and a symbol he said.

A first step towards a democratic Mali

« This presidential election is fundamental. It must make it possible to designate in a democratic way and under acceptable conditions a President of the Republic endowed with real legitimacy, an essential prerequisite for the reconstruction of the country. said Louis Michel during a press conference on Friday. The Belgian MEP, former commissioner in charge of Development, took the head of the EU observation mission on the spot. With regard to the objective of offering a democratic face to Mali, the voices are unanimous. For Catherine Ashton, this election can " constitute a major step forward in the process of a full return to constitutional order throughout Mali. A significant number of candidates participated in the electoral campaign with the stated objective of continuing to promote the return to unity of Mali, dialogue and national reconciliation.E.

A complicated election...

« We can nevertheless rejoice that the process offered citizens the opportunity to vote said Louis Michel from Kidal. But the ballot was, of course, not perfect. To meet the deadlines imposed by the international community, the elections were organized in a very short period of time. Some Malians were unable to receive their voter registration cards in time. Others had difficulty accessing polling stations due to the rainy season. Some IDPs have still not returned to their towns and villages. The question of the vote of external refugees also poses a problem. The High Representative stresses, however, that " despite difficult conditions, the Malian administration showed determination to guarantee the transparency and credibility of the elections ».

A vital election...

Beyond returning democracy to Malians, this election was essential to allow the international aid promised, notably in Brussels during the conference on Mali on May 19, to be paid. Security, development, democracy and therefore the holding of regular and transparent elections were indeed among the conditions.

The European Observation Mission

Now remains the question of results. The counting has been going on since last night. This one " must be transparent and comprehensive said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. European side, The High Representative encourages continued efforts in transparency, as vote counting operations begin. As Lady Ashton's spokesperson recalls, " A European Union electoral observation mission is currently continuing its work in Mali. Observers were deployed in polling stations for Malian refugees in Burkina Faso and Mauritania. The mission will present its preliminary findings at a press conference on Tuesday July 30 in Bamako ". This mission has 100 observers dispersed in different districts, under the supervision of 9 analysts. A delegation of MEPs also visited the site.

No results but first echoes

Although the results are not yet known, first indications on the spot give the former Prime Minister, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, in the lead. A victory in the first round would be possible, avoiding the holding of a second round scheduled for August 11th.