Senegal suspends announcement of new date for presidential election

Published on: 02/27/2024 – 08:30

3 minutes

With our correspondent in Dakar, Thea Olivier

The dialogue began with an announcement, the amnesty bill which will be tabled in the Council of Ministers tomorrow, Wednesday, by President Mackie Sale. An amnesty that will concern facts related to political demonstrations occurring between 2021 and 2024.

Also readSenegal: President Macky Sale announces amnesty law amid presidential crisis

The first sign of appeasement at the start of a national dialogue that seeks to bring together the “living forces of the nation”, namely political leaders, civil society, unions, employers and religious leaders and customary.

Among the candidates for the presidential election selected by the Constitutional Council, only two responded to President Mackie Saul’s call: Amado BaThe incumbent Prime Minister and candidate of the Presidential camp and Bone Abdallah DionFormer Head of Govt

Many who failed have expressed their position, such as the PDS Democratic Party of former President Abdoulaye Wade, whose son Kareem Wade is a candidate. They are demanding to restart the election process so that their candidate can participate in the next elections.

What about the other candidates approved by the Constitutional Council?

Fifteen of the 19 valid candidates who were absent from the dialogue filed yesterday, Monday, appealed to the Constitutional Council to force the vote to be held before the April 2 end date of Mackie Cell’s mandate.

Also readPresidential election in Senegal: 16 candidates and the R Sunu electoral group reject the dialogue proposed by Macky Cell

Pope Djibril fol Didn’t want to file an appeal but didn’t even go into the conversation. And Idrissa SecThe former president of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, finally came to dialogue.

What follow-up to the dialogue?

Today, the Technical Commission meets from early morning on election day and after April 2 which marks the end of Mackie Saul’s mandate.

At the end of the day, actors must make decisions to the head of state. The latter acted to sign a decree honoring him and convening the Electoral College.

Meanwhile, mobilization continues in the streets. At the end of last week, several political or civil society demonstrations were organized, as well as several symbolic votes on this Sunday, February 25, the date initially set for the presidential election. Civil society actors and some presidential election candidates So voted to bring pressure So that the presidential election can be held as soon as possible.

Also readSenegal: Opposition and civil society still on the streets to demand elections

A general strike has been announced tomorrow on Wednesday as well.