Second round of elections to be held in Mali despite coronavirus pandemic, protests

Voters are again called to the polls this Sunday, April 19, for the second round of legislative elections. The authorities have decided to maintain the date of this electoral deadline despite strong protests and the coronavirus pandemic.

On Sunday 19 April, Malians will be called to the polls again. A second round will be organized under the same conditions as the first one when the country is hit by the Covid-19 and the security situation has not improved.

The first round turnout was very low as only 37 per cent of voters made it to the ballot stations. The lowest turnout was recorded in the capital, around 10%, which contrasts with the very high rates of over 80% in some regions of northern Mali.

The elections will therefore be held this Sunday despite the kidnapping of Soumaila Cissé, the opposition leader who began his 21st day in captivity on Tuesday and an upsurge in violence in the north and center of the country.

In a statement, the SDF (Front pour la Sauvegarde de la Démocratie), close to the opposition, said that no election of deputies is possible when it cannot be held throughout the national territory.

Also the debate around the holding of this Sunday’s legislative elections is taking place at a time when Mali has recorded Thursday 23 new cases bringing the total of infected people to 171 since the outbreak of the epidemic in Mali on March 25.

For the first round, held on March 29, the government had given health instructions to voters that were not always respected.