Senegalese president, Macky Sall, has announced the postponement of the presidential elections which was initially scheduled for February 25, 2024. A new date for the elections has not been fixed yet, causing unease in the country.
Sall announced that the postponement was due to a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption within the constitutional body that handled the list.
Specifically, it was discoveredthat one of the candidates approved by the Council, Rose Wardini, held dual French-Senegalese citizenship in violation of the Senegalese Constitution, which requires that candidates be exclusively Senegalese to run for office.
In light of these unfolding events, Macky Sall expressed his concern, stating, “The current tumultuous circumstances have the potential to significantly erode the credibility of the electoral process, giving rise to both pre-and post-electoral disputes.” He also committed to launching a comprehensive national dialogue aimed at establishing an environment “conducive to free, transparent, and inclusive elections.”
Senegalese police on Sunday, February 4, cracked down on protests against the postponement, as parliament prepared to debate a bill that would reschedule the vote for August and extend President Macky Sall’s mandate.
According to the text of the bill, Lawmakers will debate a proposal to hold the vote on Aug. 25 and keep Sall in power until his successor is installed.
Some opposition and civil society groups have denounced the move as an “institutional coup”. Senegal has never delayed a presidential vote and uncertainty about what happens next threatens to stir further unrest after deadly protests against the prosecution of the popular opposition candidate, Ousmane Sonko, had earlier tarnished the country’s reputation as one of the region’s most stable democracies.
The decision also provoked reactions from the candidates approved by the Constitutional Council, who were originally scheduled to launch their campaigns on Monday, February 5.
Khalifa Sall, a presidential candidate and leader of Taxawu Sénégal, strongly opposed the postponement of the presidential election. He statedthat Macky Sall’s “unilateral decision to abruptly suspend the electoral process without any legal basis” amounted to what he called a “constitutional coup.” According to Khalifa Sall, “Since taking office, Mr. Macky Sall has armed himself with a battering ram to dismantle the walls of our democracy and realise his vision of perpetuating himself in power.”
“President Macky’s exit slip is now marked with the seal of this unprecedented democratic regression,” former prime minister, Aminata Toure posted in response to the postponement.
Early signs of opposition to the decision were seen in confrontations between Protesters and the police in riot gear, resulting in the use of tear gas and the detention of protesters.
After Sall’s televised announcement, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) expressed concern about the circumstances that led to the postponement and called for a new election date to be set quickly.
In a statement released by the regional body, it expressed “concern over the circumstances that have led to the postponement of the elections and appeals to the competent authorities to expedite the various processes in order to set a new date for the elections.”
The Commission also urged “the entire political class to prioritise dialogue and collaboration for transparent, inclusive and credible elections.”
While the Commission also commended Sall for his decision not to contest in the elections, there is little doubt that the postponement creates a major challenge in its push for transparent democratic processes in its member-states.
The decision by Sall comes amidst already growing tensions between his government and opposition supporters over alleged attempts to use the judiciary to hound opposition candidates out of the presidential race. Sonko’s ordeal has been described as proof of state-sponsored persecution of the opposition.
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