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PRESIDENTIAL MALI: Soumaila Cissé France 24: "I want a second round without fraud"

 

With 19.44% of votes in the first round behind his rival Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (IBK), which garnered 39.24%, the candidate of the Union for Democracy and the Republic (UDR), Soumaila Cisse, is confident. "I always said that I will be in the second round," he said in a phone interview with FRANCE 24. "The slope will not be hard to go back because it is not an extension of a vote but a new election where everything is possible," he further argued the challenger.

The victory is all the more possible in the eyes of the candidate UDR that "it will not be vitiated by fraud as the first round." The camp Cisse provided after the vote that the fraud had caused serious damage to their results. "We not only evidence of electoral fraud but we have submitted to the Constitutional Court," he also said the candidate.

More than 403,000 ballots cast in the first round on July 28, were declared invalid.

Cisse ready to discuss with IBK

The politician of 63 years means also use the nine days remaining before his election deadline to propose concrete measures to ensure the transparency of the election be respected. "We hope that the ballots be distributed only in the halls of voting and signed by every citizen to prevent slips away from ending up under tunics," said Soumaila Cisse.

The came second candidate also said he was ready to discuss with his opponent IBK. "I have no problem with that, it is important to discuss the Malians know us," he further said.

Soumaila Cisse intends to enforce the characteristics that differentiate it from IBK. "I am a modern candidate close to the people who went to the meeting of Malians in areas unlike my opponent who has moved in the big cities," he finally concluded.

If the announcement of a second round calmed and reassured supporters Soumaila Cisse, his rival IBK, which some gave victory in the first round, has not personally responded to results given Friday.

Asked about the antenna FRANCE 24, Mamadou Camara, Director Ibrahim Boubacar Keita firm, explained that with the very good score in the first round and the rallying of 13 candidates under their banner, his camp was sure to win.