Constitutional court ratifies President Keita’s election win

Top court’s verdict clears the way for Keita to begin his second five-year term on September 4.

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, President of Mali and candidate for Rally for Mali party (RPM), addresses the final rally in Bamako
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita got 67.2 percent of the votes in the August 12 runoff [Reuters]

Mali’s constitutional court has confirmed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita‘s win in this month’s runoff election, rejecting fraud accusations by the opposition candidate.

Monday’s verdict by the country’s top court clears the way for Keita to begin his second five-year term on September 4 after he was declared the winner of Mali’s presidential election on August 16.

Challenger Soumaila Cisse had contested the results of the August 12 vote when he filed a fraud complaint to the constitutional court seeking nullification of Keita’s victory.

“I reject the results proclaimed by the Ministry of Territorial Administration that do not reflect the vote of Malians,” Cisse said on Friday.

Keita, who is widely known as IB, got 67.2 percent of the votes, comfortably beating Cisse, who received 32.8 percent, according to electoral officials.

More than 2.7 million Malians voted in the runoff election, a 34 percent turnout despite threats by armed groups.

Cisse said he would have won 51 percent of the vote but for ballot box stuffing and other cheating by Keita’s camp. Keita rejected the allegations.

European Union observers said there were irregularities during the vote but did not say there was fraud.

After results were declared, Keita received congratulations from French President Emmanuel Macron, whose military has been engaged in Mali in the fight against the rebel groups.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called the 73-year-old Keita to congratulate him.

The UN has had more than 12,000 peacekeepers in Mali since 2013.

Source: News Agencies