BAMAKO – A career politician, known for ruling with a firm hand, took the lead in Mali’s first presidential election since last year’s coup, according to provisional results announced Friday, a sign that Malians are looking for decisive leadership after months of turmoil.
Mali will still face a runoff later this month, however, since none of the 28 candidates received a majority of the vote.
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a former prime minister and speaker of parliament, received about 39.2 percent of the 3.1 million votes that were cast. He will face off against second-place finisher, former Finance Minister Soumaila Cisse, who received half as many votes with 19.4 percent, according to the results.
