Low voter turnout for Mali elections amid security concerns

Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Mali held parliamentary elections Sunday, although many voters stayed home from the polls fearing an outbreak of Islamist violence.

Election observers and officials reported low voter turnout at the 25,000 polling stations across the country.

Yesterday's parliamentary elections were one step further in Mali's attempts to move forward from last year's Islamist coup when al-Qaida aligned with Tuareg separatists to take control of northern Mali. That revolt was overcome by military action in which Mali received French military assistance, including combat troop deployment.

Upon casting his vote at the polls on Sunday, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said "I wanted to express my joy at coming to vote... If you had told me a few months ago that we would be staging parliamentary elections I would have thought I was dreaming. But this is reality. Mali is standing on its own two feet and moving forward."

[The Telegraph] [Middle East Online]