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EDITIONS

Mali

COUNTRY	ELECTION TYPE	DATE
Republic of Mali	Legislative	July 20, 1997 (First Round) August 3, 1997 (Second Round)

Following the April 13, 1997 election:

Mali held a first round of legislative elections on April 13, 1997, but the results were annulled by the country’s Constitutional Court. According to the electoral code, Mali had to hold a new election no later than July 20, 1997.
In annulling the results, the Constitutional Court issued a nine-page ruling highlighting four articles in the electoral code with which the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) did not fully comply: Article 48: Every elector must receive his/her voting card 3 days before polling day; Article 49: The distribution of these cards must commence 25 days prior to polling day by specially appointed commissions; Article 74: The places for voting must be selected and published at least 14 days before polling day; Article 77: The staff of a polling place is composed of a president and a minimum of four assessors appointed at least 7 days before polling day.
The Council of Ministers set a new legislative election for July 20, 1997. 575 candidates, 55 of whom were women, from 19 parties and 23 independent lists competed for 147 seats in the National Assembly but the main opposition parties boycotted the poll.

What was at stake?

Description of electoral system:

Anyone meeting the statutory requirements could be a candidate in the first round, including independent candidates. The authorization of independent candidacies was an innovation of the new electoral code in Mali. If no party or candidate won an absolute majority (50%+ 1) in the first round, then the top two participants from the first round advanced to the second round, where an absolute majority determined the winner.

Results of the election for president:

Presidential Candidate: Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA
Party: Alliance for Democracy/Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA/PASJ)
Valid Votes Received: 76
Percent of Valid Votes Received: 130
Presidential Candidate: Capt. Yoro DIAKITE
Party: Party for National Renaissance (PARENA)
New party since last election
Seats won in this election: 8
Presidential Candidate: Mamadou Bakary SANGARE
Party: Social Democratic Convention (CDS)
Seats won in 1992 election: 0
Seats won in this election: 4
Presidential Candidate: Idrissa TRAORE
Party: Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP)
Seats won in 1992 election: 2
Seats won in this election: 2
Presidential Candidate: Moussa Balla COULIBALY
Party: Union for Democracy and Development (UDD)
Seats won in 1992 election: 6
Seats won in this election: 2
Presidential Candidate: Mamadou GAKOU
Party: Convention Peoples Party (COPP)
Seats won in 1992 election: 0
Seats won in this election: 1

When was the last presidential election?

Population and number of registered voters:

SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTION SYSTEMS (IFES)