Senegalese at the polls for a presidential election against a backdrop of political crisis

by Bate Felix and Portia Crowe

DAKAR (Reuters) – Senegalese went to the polls on Sunday amid a political crisis after President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the presidential vote strengthened support for the opposition.

Nineteen candidates are in the running to succeed Macky Sall, who will not run again at the end of his second term as president of the country.

Amadou Ba, 62, was nominated as a candidate by the ruling coalition. The former prime minister and finance minister is expected to continue investor-friendly policies as the country prepares to become an oil and gas producing country by the end of the year.

Read also…

“I think I am the candidate who offers political stability, serenity and the ability to move Senegal forward quickly,” Amadou Ba told journalists on Friday as his campaign ended.

Amadou Ba will notably be confronted with Bassirou Diomaye Faye, independent candidate and close ally of opponent Ousmane Sonko.

Ousmane Sonko, who finished in third place in the 2019 Senegalese presidential election, was disqualified due to a defamation conviction.

Members of Pastef, Ousmane Sonko’s party whose dissolution was announced last summer, and other parties formed a coalition and chose Bassirou Diomaye Faye as their candidate in November.

Ousmane Sonko, a popular figure among Senegalese youth who complain about a lack of work and a sluggish economy, gave his support to Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

Nearly 7.3 million people are registered on the electoral lists in Senegal. Polling stations opened at 08:00 GMT and will close at 18:00 GMT.

“I came early because I want change,” explains Sidy Lamine Badji, a 36-year-old driver who arrived first at his polling station located in the Ngor district, facing the ocean.

“Life is difficult. We haven’t progressed since 2012.”

Alioune Samba, a 66-year-old fisherman, also said he was voting for change.

“Food, water, school, everything is expensive with the low income we have in Senegal,” says this father of three children.

Counting will begin as soon as polling stations close and preliminary results are expected on March 26.

No opinion polls are carried out in Senegal, so it is difficult to estimate the chances of a candidate winning 50% of the votes in the first round, which would ensure victory.

“DIOMAYE, IT’S SONKO”

Macky Sall, first elected to the presidency of Senegal in 2012, saw his popularity decline at the end of his mandate, particularly after he decided to postpone the presidential election, initially scheduled for February 25.

The postponement of the presidential election has fueled tensions in a country where 60% of the population is under 25 and which expects the next president to restore trust with the people and tackle problems of inequality.

The Constitutional Council of Senegal, however, ruled that the unprecedented law adopted by Parliament to postpone the presidential election until December did not respect the Constitution, and that Macky Sall’s mandate could not be extended after April 2.

On March 6, the Senegalese Parliament adopted an amnesty bill wanted by Macky Sall with the aim of easing political tensions, which allowed the release of Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

The two men began a campaign under the banner “Diomaye, it’s Sonko”, forming a popular duo.

“The election will show if their popularity on social media is real,” said Senegalese political analyst Babacar Ndiaye.

According to analysts, most of Ousmane Sonko’s supporters are expected to vote for Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who has pledged to end corruption, restore stability and make economic sovereignty a priority.

Some of his campaign promises, notably those relating to the renegotiation of oil contracts and the introduction of a national currency, raise fears that the country’s image among investors will be damaged.

(With the contribution of Ngouda Dione, Diadie Ba and Alessandra Prentice, written by Sofia Christensen; French version Camille Raynaud and Blandine Hénault)