Mali's second round presidential vote kicks off in calm Voters went to vote to choose new president between former PM Keita and former FM Cisse. Mali's 6.8 mln registered voters are called to cast ballot at around 21,000 stations across country. Keita and Cisse obtained 39.79 percent and 19.70 percent of votes respectively at 1st round. BAMAKO, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Despite the rain that turns quite heavy in some of the six districts, many voters in Bamako, capital of Mali, got up early and went to polling stations this Sunday morning to choose their new president between former prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and former foreign minister Soumaila Cisse. In a voting center at Mamadou Sarr High School, in Lafiabougou, about two dozens of voters entered the polling station No. 2 at exactly 8:00 a.m. local time, in conformity with the electoral process. There is also a visible presence of police and troops of armed forces. A total of 469 voters are expected to cast their ballot in this station. A 52-year-old woman voted the first. Speaking only Bambara, the commonly used language in south Mali, she did not disclose which candidate she had voted for. The personnel working for the operations of vote includes one president, four assessors, representatives of the two candidates, one delegate from the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI in French), one delegate from the Constitutional Court, who were present in this station on time. According to the results of the first round in station No. 2, Keita got 75.46 percent of the votes in this station and Cisse got 12.73 percent. Louis Michel, head of the European Union's Electoral Observation Mission in Mali (MOE UE), assisted the vote in this center where the operations continue smoothly. At station No. 10 in the same center at Mamadou Sarr High School, Edem Kodjo, former prime minister of Togo and head of the African Union's observation mission, observed the whole process. Of 468 voters inscribed to vote in station No. 10, 314 voted in the first round, with 208 for Keita, 47 for Cisse. Mali's 6.8 million registered voters are called to cast ballot at around 21,000 stations across the country, which will stay open till 6:00 p.m. local time the same day. The definitive results will come out within five days. The first round on July 29 registered a historical turn out rate of 48.98 percent, with Keita and Cisse obtaining 39.79 percent and 19.70 percent of the votes respectively. News Analysis: Mali yearning for fresh start after presidential run- off BAMAKO, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Mali, one of the world's poorest countries, has suffered turmoil for nearly 17 months and awaits with enthusiasm Sunday's presidential run-off to elect a new president. Contestants in Mali's presidential run-off urged to respect poll outcome BAMAKO, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The president of Mali's National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), Mamadou Diamoutani, is urging the two contestants in Sunday's presidential run-off, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Soumaila Cisse, to accept the outcome from the ballot box. Top AU observer calls for massive turnout in Malian election BAMAKO, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The head of the African Union electoral observation mission in Mali, Edem Kodjo, urged on Saturday Malians to turn out massively in the coming presidential run-off while reiterating "no abnormality" in the first round of the poll.