28 July 2018•Update: 29 July 2018
By Alpha Kamara
MALI
Malians will be going to the polls to elect their new president on Sunday, July 29.
The country’s constitutional court earlier gave the green light to 24 candidates, including the incumbent President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, to contest in the election. Six others were disqualified.
Here are the five key candidates to watch in the race.
Boubacar Keita
Keita, 71, the incumbent president, was elected in 2013. Previously, he served as the prime minister of Mali from 1994 to 2000 and later president of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007. He is a founding member of the ruling Rally for Mali RPM party.
In 2013, his election campaign was focusing on improving security in the country. The goal could not be achieved as the security situation remains fragile with violent attacks, especially in the country's north and central regions.
Soumaila Cisse
Keita’s main challenger is 69-year-old opposition leader Soumaila Cisse. He is an engineer who worked as Finance, environment and urban planning minister between 1993 and 2000.
In 1992, he was secretary to former President Alpha Oumar Konaré. He has contested twice in the presidential polls in 2002 and against Keita in 2013. On both occasions, he lost in the second round of the polls.
Since 2014, he has been President of the main opposition Union for the Republic and Democracy party. His key message is to “fix the mess caused by president Keita and unite the country.”
Cheick Modibo Diarra
Diarra, 66, is a scientist who served as prime minister under the transition government in 2012 and managed to help stabilize the country after ECOWAS countries threatened Mali with sanctions.
He was also NASA’s first African astrophysicist and key player in the exploration of Mars with the Pathfinder and Sojourner projects.
He was a UNESCO Goodwill ambassador, and in 2006, was president of Microsoft Africa.
His key campaign message is to improve technology in order to solve the country’s numerous problems.
Choguel Kokalla Maiga
Maiga, 60, is the President of the Patriotic Movement for Renewal party. He was Minister of Industry and Trade from 2002 to 2007 and later Minister of Digital Information and Communication from 2015 to 2016.
He was an ally of Keita and a close associate of former President Moussa Traore.
In 2002 he contested in presidential elections and obtained just 2.73 percent of the votes in the first round.
In the legislative election in the same year, he aligned himself with president Keita's Rally for Mali party and with the National Congress for Democratic Initiative -- both formed a coalition in 2002.
His message of campaign is to promote youth in the country.
Mountaga Tall
Tall, 61, the president of the National Congress for Democratic Initiative, is also a key figure to watch. He served as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research from 2014 to 2016. He was first vice president of the National Assembly of Mali from 2002 to 2007.
Tall, a seasoned lawyer ran as the party's candidate, in the 1992 presidential election and came third after Alpha Oumar Konare and Tieoule Konate.
He is also a strong critic of President Keita.
Most of Mali is still unstable. Troops from the UN, French forces and others have been helping the government to fight militant groups. But, as Malians go to the polls on Sunday, peace is still far from being achieved and rights group say human rights abuses are on the rise.
