Senegal's presidential election faces deadline as 15 candidates demand swift action

Fifteen out of the original twenty candidates, who had been approved for Senegal’s presidential poll originally scheduled for February 25, are demanding that the new vote be conducted no later than April 2.

President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the election, just hours before the official start of campaigning, plunged Senegal into its most severe political crisis in decades.

Last week, the top constitutional body overturned the postponement decision, raising crucial questions about whether the election will be organized before President Sall’s term officially ends on April 2 and if the original list of 20 candidates will remain unchanged.

A letter signed by fifteen candidates, including prominent figures like detained anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye and former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, not related to the president, emphasized that “the new polling date and the date for the handover between the president and his successor must be held no later than April 2.” The candidates expressed disappointment over the lack of action by authorities since the Constitutional Council’s decision.

President Sall has indicated his commitment to respecting the Constitutional Council’s ruling and pledged to “carry out the consultations necessary to organize the presidential election as soon as possible.” However, the absence of a concrete plan has fueled tensions in the country.

Notably, the letter was not endorsed by Prime Minister Amadou Ba, the presidential camp’s candidate, adding an intriguing dimension to the unfolding political scenario.

Senegal now stands at a critical juncture, with the demand for a swift resolution to the electoral process intensifying, and the political future of the nation hanging in the balance. The coming weeks will likely determine whether the election will proceed as planned and if the original roster of candidates will remain intact.