1979 Malian general election

{{Infobox election

| country = Mali

| next_election = 1985 Malian general election

| next_year = 1985

| election_date = 19 June 1979

| module = {{Infobox election

| embed = yes

| type = presidential

| election_name = Presidential election

| image1 = Moussa Traoré (1989) (cropped).jpg

| nominee1 = Moussa Traoré

| party1 = Democratic Union of the Malian People

| popular_vote1 = 3,298,477

| percentage1 = 100%

| title = President

| posttitle = President-elect

| before_election = Moussa Traoré

| before_party = Democratic Union of the Malian People

| after_election = Moussa Traoré

| after_party = Democratic Union of the Malian People

}}

| previous_election = 1964 Malian presidential election

| previous_year = 1964

}}{{Politics of Mali}}

General elections were held in Mali on 19 June 1979. They followed a 1974 referendum that approved a new constitution allowing for the direct election of the President for the first time. The country was a one-party state at the time, with the Democratic Union of the Malian People (UDPM) as the sole legal party. Its leader, Moussa Traoré, who had overthrown Modibo Keïta in 1968, was the only presidential candidate, and was elected unopposed.[http://africanelections.tripod.com/ml.html Elections in Mali] African Elections Database In the National Assembly elections several UDPM candidates were able to contest each seat, with 44% of the incumbent MPs defeated.Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p569 {{ISBN|0-19-829645-2}} Voter turnout was reported to be 97%.