At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Mali

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Dioncounda TRAORE *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Django SISSOKO
• Assembly: Mali has a unicameral National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 147 seats.

* Former president Amadou Toumani TOURE was overthrown in military coup on March 21, 2012. TRAORE is interim President.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
• In the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) 147 members are elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve 5-year terms.***

*** 147 members are elected through a majority party-list system in two rounds of voting to serve 5-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA
  • Party: Rally for Mali (RPM)
• Soumaila CISSE
  • Party: Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD)

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 16,592,097 (2013)
• Registered Voters: 6,829,696 (August 2013)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 8,221,147 (2013)

·         Is Mali a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (5 February 1985)

·         Has Mali ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 September 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No, but there are voluntary quotas for some political parties

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 15 (following the 2007 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 179 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Mali a signatory to CRPD: Yes (15 May 2007)

·         Has Mali ratified CRPD: Yes (7 April 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 2,488,814 (est.)