Bamako, Mali — Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a former prime minister of Mali, came third in Mali's presidential poll, according to official, albeit provisional, results of the presidential election of 28 April.
IBK, as he is known, polled less than a third of the votes counted, and was edged out of the race by Amadou Toumani Toure or 'ATT', the retired military general, and Soumaila Cisse, a former finance minister of President Alpha Oumar Konare and the candidate of the governing party, Adema. ATT and Cisse now go through to the second round run-off scheduled on May 12.
IBK says there was "massive, grotesque and crude" fraud and he maintains he is the real winner. He says the results proclaimed by the Minister of Territorial Administration were bogus and has taken his allegations of vote rigging to the courts in Mali.
Mali's National Independent Electoral Commission, which monitored the presidential election as a watchdog, criticized the way the vote count was handled, concluding that there was unfair treatment in the way the results were published.
The Constitutional Court must now rule on the validity of the presidential election and decide whether the results stand or not. In 1997, the same court annulled the results of the legislative election because of irregularities and poor organization.
IBK talked to a group of international journalists, including allAfrica.com's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, at his home in the capital Bamako.
You say there was manipulation and fraud during the presidential election, Mr Keita. What proof do you have of this? Where is your evidence?
This poll has taken place in conditions not clear, not transparent. For the first half, after the poll, it was clear that I was in the lead. I was the first, no doubt about it.
Up to this moment, as you can see, I am absolutely calm, peaceful and I have appealed to my people to remain peaceful and calm.
But they have been trying to hide the reality of the poll and our people are now angry, very angry. And I am not sure I'll be able to continue telling them to be peaceful. I am trying to do so.
How sure are you that you were leading in the first round? What is the evidence?
They [the authorities, headed by the Ministry of Territorial Administration where central vote counting commission was housed] began delivering the results of the poll last Sunday night, in Bamako, the capital. And there is absolutely no doubt that I was in the lead, far ahead of the others. But in the early morning of Monday they began to hide the results, for a couple of days.
Then suddenly they began to deliver new results again that were absolutely curious. Our people were sure they were hiding something, so that they could impose the leadership of the man they want to see in power.
Are you saying someone was manipulating the vote - and who?
Absolutely. No doubt about it. In the streets of Bamako, you can ask people about their feelings. No doubt about it. The polls were being manipulated by the powers that be. It seems that some people are saying "anyone but IBK in the run-off second round".
Who are you blaming for this apparent fraud?
No one in particular. But it is clear that people were found tampering with the papers and we have put a complaint before the courts about this.
Are you alleging a conspiracy between President Alpha Oumar Konare, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Ousmane Sy, and the governing Adema party candidate, Soumaila Cisse? What precisely are you saying?
No comment about this.
Are you planning to take the legal route to iron these problems out?
I am a legalist.
You say you're trying to calm your supporters, what evidence do you have that they are not calm?
Because, as far as we are concerned, we are absolutely convinced that manipulation of the vote happened. So they are getting angrier and angrier and I am not sure we will be able to stop them. That's what I'm anxious about. People can only take so much. If you continue to slap people in the face, rob them, insult them, then they become difficult to control.
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For many people, this is not new. This is not a new scenario - an opposition leader loses the vote and cries foul.
I am not like that. I am not that kind of man. But this time, they have exaggerated. They have overdone it, absolutely.
Are you saying you were the outright winner in the first round or that you should have gone through to the second round?
I am sure I am the winner of the first round and I am sure also to have been the winner of the second round if everything was clear and transparent and we are fighting for that.
Have you spoken to President Konare about your concerns or anyone else in authority?
No. No-one. Why would I speak to them? For what? No need to do so.
Some of your senior officials made reference to Madagascar. Are we headed for another Madagascar here in Mali where one of the candidates is going to say that he is going to declare himself president?
I hope we will not be obliged to go that far.
But is it possible?
No comment.
