NAIROBI -- The candidate favoured by Mali's Islamic leaders called for a day of protests on Saturday in the wake of disputed presidential election results that saw him finish out of the running.

Former prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita placed third with 21 per cent of the vote, according to results from last week's presidential election released Friday by the government.

Military strongman Amadou Toumani Toure took 28 per cent, followed by Soumaila Cisse of the ruling Adema Party with 23 per cent.

Since no candidate won an outright majority in the first round of voting, which took place April 28, the two top vote-getters are to face each other in a run-off election scheduled for May 12.

The winner will succeed incumbent President Alpha Oumar Konare, who has served the constitutional maximum of two five-year terms.

Keita called the results -- which were released five days after voting took place -- a fraud. He threatened to challenge them in court and asked his supporters to take to the streets on Saturday.

International observers have yet to comment officially on the whether the voting was free and fair.