MALI / ELECTIONS

Elections held on Sunday in Mali were marked by low turnout throughout the country. The second round of Parliamentary elections was the last step in democratic transition after the military coup in 2012. MINUSMA

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Production Date: 16 December 2013
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS MULTIDIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED STABILIZATION MISSION IN MALI - MINUSMA
• Subject Topical: ELECTIONS
• Geographic Subject: MALI
• MAMS Id: U131216k

Description

STORY: MALI / ELECTIONS
TRT:2.15
SOURCE: MINUSMA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH/ ENGLISH/ SONGHAY / NATS

DATELINE: 15 DECEMBER 2013, TIMBUKTU, MALI

Shotlist

1. Med shot, woman searching voting lists
2. Wide shot, group of women in front of polling center
3. Close up, tilt down, electoral agent to voters lists
4. Close up, pan right, voter to electoral agent
5. Med shot, man in voting booth
6. Med shot, man casting a ballot
7. Close up, finger in tint pot
8. SOUNDBITE (Songhay), Woman voter:
“I came here to vote because I am a Malian, I am a patriot and I believe in my country.”
9. Close up, tilt down, electoral agent to electoral lists
10. Med shot, electoral agents
11. SOUNDBITE (French), Man voter:
“It is also occasion to practice our citizen’s right to go out and vote, which also have a moral implications. Because after, if things go wrong you cannot say you have nothing to do with it, because you stayed at home (and didn’t vote).
12. Woman signing with her fingertip.
13. Close up, finger in ink pot
14. Close up, electoral lists to Koendres and electoral agent
15. SOUNDBITE (English), Bert Koenders, Chief of MINUSMA
“So far, I can see here in Timbuktu, everything seem to be very well organized. In terms of the opening of the polling stations, personnel is all there, observers from different parties, party agents. It’s a calm atmosphere, I didn’t see any tesions, we don’t have any reports – at this moment at least of any tesions.”
16. Wide shot, pan left, UN armed vehicle in front of a voting center
17. Med shot, security checking people at the entrance of a voting center

Storyline

Elections held on Sunday (15 Dec) in Mali were marked by low turnout throughout the country.

The second round of Parliamentary elections was the last step in democratic transition after the military coup in 2012.

In the first round, held on 24 November only 38.5 percent of 6.8 million registered voters had cast their ballots in 25,000 polling stations across the country.

The majority of 147 seats in parliament were still up for grab in Sunday’s elections, since only 20 were confirmed after the first round.

Those few who came to vote said there are doing their patriotic duty.

“I came here to vote because I am a Malian, I am a patriot and I believe in my country.” – said a woman in a polling station in Timbuktu.

Another voter added - “It is also occasion to practice our citizen’s right to go out and vote, which also have a moral implications. Because after, if things go wrong you cannot say you have nothing to do with it, because you stayed at home (and didn’t vote). "

Voting was overshadowed by a suicide attack day before when two UN peacekeepers were killed and 11 wounded in Kidal, northern Mali.

The UN peacekeepers and Malian military maintained presence outside of voting centers throughout the day. Chief of the UN Mission in Mali, Bert Koenders had visited Timbuktu on the day of elections.

“So far, I can see here in Timbuktu, everything seem to be very well organized. In terms of the opening of the polling stations, personnel is all there, observers from different parties, party agents. It’s a calm atmosphere, I didn’t see any tesions, we don’t have any reports – at this moment at least of any tesions.”- said Koenders.

Successful democratic transition that should be completed with the second round of the parliamentary vote should unlock $3.25 billion pledged by donors to rebuild the impoverished country.