DAKAR (Reuters) – Senegal’s ruling coalition and the opposition each claimed victory on Monday in the legislative elections that took place on Sunday before the official results were published.
Former Prime Minister Aminata Toure, head of the national majority list, announced partial results on television early Monday morning that the party had won in 30 of Senegal’s 46 departments.
“(These results) give us an indisputable majority,” she added, without however indicating how many seats the ruling coalition had obtained.
The opposition Wallu Senegal coalition said later in the day that it, along with the Yewwi Askane Wi coalition, had won the polls in most of Senegal’s departments.
“The provisional results show that President Macky Sall lost the elections and that he will not benefit from a majority in the National Assembly”, it was written in a press release.
The political context in Senegal, considered one of the most stable democracies on the African continent, has deteriorated, in part due to concerns that Macky Sall may seek to extend his rule beyond the two-year limit. mandates provided for by the Constitution.
Tensions erupted last year after Ousmane Sonko was temporarily detained on charges of rape, charges denied by the opposition leader.
Violent protests erupted last month after the main opposition coalition – which includes Ousmane Sonko – had its national list invalidated by Senegal’s National Council due to an error in its constitution.
The National Assembly of Senegal is composed of 165 seats filled for five years according to a mixed voting system.
(Reportage Diadie Ba; Rdig by Bate Felix; French version Camille Raynaud)