Senegalese President Macky Sall, facing increasing pressure both domestically and internationally, declared on Friday his commitment to organizing presidential elections “as soon as possible.”
This statement comes after the Constitutional Council overruled Sall’s decision to postpone the February 25th vote until December, leading to unprecedented turmoil in the nation.
The presidency said in a statement, “The president of the republic intends to fully implement the decision of the Constitutional Council.
“To this end, the head of state will without delay carry out the consultations necessary to organise the presidential election as soon as possible.”
Sall, who has been in power since 2012, justified the delay by citing disputes over the disqualification of potential candidates and concerns about a potential return to unrest witnessed in 2021 and 2023.
Despite parliamentary approval of the delay until December 15, which allowed Sall to extend his term until a successor is chosen, the move triggered widespread protests, resulting in three casualties.
Few people responded to calls for protests in the capital Dakar on Friday, AFP journalists saw, with the few dozen who turned up dispersed by police with tear gas.
A silent protest march planned for Saturday in Dakar has been authorised, unlike those in recent weeks, Elimane Kane, of the Aar Sunu Election (Let’s protect our election) collective that organised it, told AFP.
The opposition had decried Sall’s move as a “constitutional coup”, saying his party feared defeat at the ballot box for its candidate, Prime Minister Amadou Ba.
Sall’s term in office officially expires on April 2 and the head of state has repeatedly said he will not stand for a third term. The Constitutional Council reiterated the fixed nature of the five-year presidential term.
The West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, the European Union, France, Britain and the United States have all called on the authorities to comply with the Council’s ruling.
READ ALSO: Senegal’s Supreme Court Rejects President Sall’s Attempt to Postpone Election
“We urge all stakeholders to come together in the spirit of Senegal’s strong democratic tradition to support a free and fair election conducted in a peaceful and timely manner,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
The UN also urged all parties to “ensure the holding of an inclusive and transparent presidential election within the framework of the constitution of Senegal.”
With the January approval of 20 candidates by the Constitutional Council, the nation now awaits the confirmation of the same candidate list and clarity on the scheduling of the impending presidential election.
