Malians vote for next president
Afp, Bamako
Malians went to the polls yesterday in presidential elections expected to hand the incumbent a second five-year term and boost the west African country's democratic credentials. Amadou Toumani Toure, a former coup leader who won democratic acclaim after handing power to civilian rule following the military takeover in the early 1990s, is seeking a new term as an independent candidate. After retiring from the army, he stood for elections and won the 2002 vote. This time around he enjoys the backing of two large coalitions and a myriad of smaller parties. The former general ousted dictator Moussa Traore in 1991, and installed a multi-party system before handing over power to civilians, in a rare transition of power in the region.
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