Mali waits for presidential election run-off results

Malians on Monday awaited the outcome of a presidential election run-off they hope will usher in a new dawn of stability following a military coup which upended one of the region’s most stable democracies.

An electorate of almost seven million had been asked on Sunday to choose between former premier Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and ex-finance minister Soumaila Cisse to lead Mali’s recovery, following last year’s coup that ignited an Islamist insurgency and a French-led military intervention.

The election, the first since 2007, was crucial for unlocking more than $4-billion in aid promised after international donors halted contributions in the wake of the coup.

The European Union’s election observation mission was to present a report on turnout and voting conditions on Monday.