Senegal’s president withholds election date amid delays

Senegal President Mack Sall faces mounting pressure as election delay sparks crisis, with uncertainty looming over the new date amid political tensions

Senegal’s President Macky Sall confirmed Thursday that his current mandate will indeed end as scheduled on April 2. However, he did not provide a new date for the postponed presidential election, which had been delayed earlier this month, sparking a period of crisis.

In the midst of ongoing social and political tensions, Sall deferred the decision on the election date until after the start of a political dialogue set to commence on Monday. Sall also mentioned the possibility of releasing detained opposition figures Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

However, he noted that he did not foresee this happening before April 2. Sall stated that he would engage in discussions with presidential candidates and other political and social figures on Monday and Tuesday, emphasizing the necessity of reaching a consensus on the election date after the dialogue.

What happened before?

The announcement of the election delay came just hours before the official start of campaigning was scheduled to begin. Despite strong opposition, Parliament supported the decision and Sall subsequently set a new election date for December.

The opposition criticized Sall’s actions as a “constitutional coup,” alleging that his party feared potential defeat in the election. The delay plunged Senegal, typically known for its stability, into a political crisis, leading to unrest that resulted in the deaths of four individuals.

Last week, Senegal’s top constitutional body overturned the delay and called for the election to be organized “as soon as possible.” During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the president indicated that the election date “will be determined very shortly,” as per the presidency’s statement.

Source: Newsroom

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