No majority in presidential elections, second round on 12 May

Malians return to the polls on 12 May in a second round of presidential elections because none of the 24 presidential candidates won a majority in the Sunday polls, Ismail Dicko, spokesman for the Ministry of Territorial Administration, told IRIN on Friday.

He said independent candidate Amadou Toumani Toure and Soumaila Cisse of the ruling ADEMA, respectively won 27.98 percent and 22.74 percent, and would compete in the second round.

"These are the official, provisional results from the ministry. They have to be confirmed by the constitutional court", Dicko said from the capital, Bamako. The ministry was in charge of the elections.

Of some 5.7 million eligible voters, 38.58 percent cast a ballot. Turnout in Bamako was 32.58 percent while Mopti and Sikasso, two other major towns, posted turnouts of 44.78 and 41.37 percent.

The polls were marred by allegations by all parties including ADEMA, of fraud, insufficient election materials, delayed opening of voting stations, and omissions from voting lists.

Ministry officials acknowledged "some minor mistakes", but attributed these to the fact that organising elections is a very difficult task.

Cisse's campaign director, Sy Kadiatou Sow, told IRIN that her party expected a possible second round because of the numeros candidacies, but was surprised at their low scores in the big cities, especially Bamako. Lansana Traore, head of Toure's campaign, and Oumar Mariko whose Solidarite Africaine pour la Democratie et l'Independence party was only created three months before the poll, also disputed the results.

Toure is a retired army general who led a 14-month transition government from 1991-1992 while Cisse is a former minister. The polls are to decide a replacement for Alpha Oumar Konare who has been president since 1992 and who has served the two five-year terms mandated by Mali's laws.