Mali Election

[Avatar4321]

I was wondering if anyone has heard the results of the Mali Presidential elections and how our brother Yeah Samake has done. Any word?

[thesometimesaint]

As of 7 hours ago no results yet.

[Calm]

http://www.voanews.com/content/mali-awaits-presidential-election-results/1711942.html

Nothing yet as he said

[rpn]

Apparently only about 25 percent of Malians vote in presidential elections, mostly because they see it as useless and perceive that they have no say so. If Samake were to win, many more people would have to decide it was worth the effort to vote for a different candidate. Surely there are lots of people potentially in that boat. Whether it worked, is another thing.

[Calm]

http://www.latimes.c...story?track=rss

This says that half of who could vote, voted this time around.

So far:

Former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is leading the vote count, according to Malian state-owned television. If he fails to gain more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held next month.

[cdowis]

On July 28th 2013, 51% of Malians went to the polls to choose their leader. We thank all our supporters in the United States, Mali and the rest of the world who have kept our dream alive. We thank you for the countless prayers and financial contributions that have allowed us to keep going in the face of much adversity and challenge.

The results announced today show that the top two leaders are IBK, a 68 year old ex Prime Minister with high financial resources, and Soumaila Cisse, Mali's 64-year old ex Finance minister who is known for corruption. In addition to the greater than $1B campaigns these individuals each ran, the call to vote for IBK by Muslim organizations in Mali during the holy month of Ramadan certainly overwhelmed the electoral process. Only three of the 28 candidates reached above five percent of the votes. The top two candidates will face off on August 11th for the Presidency in Mali. The President when inaugurated will serve a term of 5 years.

My party, which is a 2 year young party, placed 16th out of 28 candidates. While I am very disappointed at our performance and was hopeful for a more successful outcome, I am proud of the people of Mali who acknowledged the accomplishments of PACP versus other parties that have been on the political scene for more than 10 years. It brought hope back to me that people do want change and it is my responsibility to continue to educate my fellow Malians about who I am and what I can do for Mali.

It was a great honor for me to participate in the race for the Presidency. Through my candidacy and campaign to turn the page of 20 years of mismanagement, I met with Malians inside and outside to understand their aspirations, their concerns, their expectations and their dreams. I met people in the towns and villages that were tolerant and committed to democratic values. I observed in their eyes, the resolution of a people waiting to be inspired by a leader of integrity who has a high sense of service. I continue to hope and pray that a President will be chosen who is the answer to our collective prayers for a providential leader

The time is unsure right now for me and my family. Despite this setback, we believe that no matter what the result, we will continue to serve the people of Mali in some capacity. If the new administration calls us to serve in a certain area, despite our political differences, that is something we will seriously consider in order to impact Malians in that area. We will continue to put attention on our Utah-based foundation Empower Mali that partners with Malian local leaders to help bring educational resources, healthcare and clean water to rural Mali. At the end of the day, we will accept and fulfill any role that allows us to fulfill our great ambition of bringing change to Mali. We will continue to keep you updated on our journey. The story has just begun.

[rpn]

It was a huge turn out, And Samake didn't make the cut of two, but intends to keep working in and for Mali.

[BCSpace]

.56% of the vote would be pretty tough to swallow unless perhaps the organization was very small to begin with?

[Stargazer]

.56% of the vote would be pretty tough to swallow unless perhaps the organization was very small to begin with?

His party is a new party with a tiny base. It would have been astounding if he had gotten into the top two.