Mali: Presidential elections set for July 28

Mali’s government announced on Monday that much-anticipated presidential elections will be held July 28, in a communique that set the dates for the campaign period and a runoff election. The move suggests that the West African country is serious about holding the ballot.

The elections would be the first since a coup in March 2012 ousted Mali’s democratically elected president just months before he was due to step down at the end of his final term in office. The coup plunged the country into chaos, creating an opening which allowed extremist groups allied with al-Qaeda to infiltrate Mali’s northern half.

Monday’s statement by the transitional government said the campaign for president will begin at midnight on July 7 and end at midnight on July 26. If no candidate wins an absolute majority, a runoff will be held on August 11.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press