A supporter holds a poster of the President of Mali Amadou Toumani Toure during a campaign meeting in Fana, 150km east of Bamako, 25 Apr 2007

Supporters of presidential hopeful Sidibe Aminata Diallo chant "Ami," a nickname for the candidate. 

Political fervor is intense at the rally, but out on the streets, the mood is more reserved.

Security guard Dodje Adanzouhoin says he is not interested in politics.

Adanzouhoin says he pays attention to politics, but does not participate.  In his neighborhood, he says, there are people from all different parties, so he prefers to not take sides.

Oumou Toure, a leader of a women's organization, is trying to get more women to vote.  She says it is not easy.

Supporters at a rally for opposition candidate Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

According to the Ministry of the Interior, political apathy is more prevalent in Bamako than in the countryside where about 75 percent of eligible voters applied for and collected their voting cards.  In Bamako, about 35 percent signed up and got their cards.

An adviser to the government, Wilfried Wesch of Germany, attributes Bamako's political malaise to the fact that it is a young democracy and many people are not all that interested in politics. 

"In all the elections we had in the past we had a very, very low participation first of all because people were not interested," he said.  "And the political parties and the government did not do anything to promote democracy, they did not do anything to educate their people."

A supporter of Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure wears his portrait as earings during Toure's last campaign meeting in Bamako, 27 Apr 2007

Wesch says the current administration has made efforts to encourage political participation, and he is optimistic the turnout for this election will be larger.

"I hope and I expect a participation of nearly 50 percent, which is really nearly European and United States standards," he said.

Of the seven opposition candidates, the head of the National Assembly, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, is considered President Amadou Toumani Toure's most serious rival.  Though Mr. Toure is expected to win a second five-year term, if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a second round is scheduled for May 13.