UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the strong turnout of women at polls in Burkina Faso and appealed for calm as the west African country awaits results.
The elections are aimed at setting Burkina Faso on a new course after popular protests brought down veteran leader Blaise Compaore and a failed coup attempt.
Ban praised Burkina Faso for holding peaceful presidential and legislative polls on Sunday and hailed "the strong participation of women in the electoral process," said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
He "encourages all political leaders and national stakeholders to maintain the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed on election day," he said, and urges all disputes to be resolved through legal means.
The two favorites in the presidential race, Roch Marc Christian Kabore and Zephirin Diabre, were top figures in Compaore`s regime, but they opposed the ex-president`s foiled bid to change the constitution and extend his stay in power.
