Shortly before the official start of campaigning on Sunday, President Macky Sall of Senegal announced the indefinite postponement of the presidential election scheduled for February 25. This move has stirred dissatisfaction among opposition figures and led to a ministerial resignation.
In a national address on Saturday, Sall explained that the vote determining his successor was delayed due to a dispute between the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court regarding rejected candidates. The integrity of two Constitutional Council judges involved in the election process is currently under investigation by lawmakers.
“I will begin an open national dialogue to bring together the conditions for a free, transparent and inclusive election,” Sall added, without giving a new date.
According to the country’s election code, there must be a minimum of 80 days between the publication of the decree setting the date and the actual election, making late April the earliest possible timeframe for a vote.
Following Sall’s announcement, Abdou Latif Coulibaly, the government’s secretary general and spokesperson, resigned, citing a desire for “full and complete freedom” to defend his political convictions.
This marks the first instance of a postponed Senegalese presidential election, contributing to the escalating political tension in the country. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding the delay and called for dialogue and an expedited process to determine a new date.
The U.S. State Department also urged Senegal to swiftly set a date for a timely, free, and fair election, acknowledging allegations of irregularities while expressing deep concern about the disruption to the electoral calendar.
President Sall had initially set the election for February 25, 2024, with 20 candidates in the running, excluding two major opposition figures. Despite reiterating that he would not be a candidate, opposition leaders denounced the decision, labeling it as “high treason towards the Republic” and a “cancellation” of the election.
The excluded candidates include Ousmane Sonko, who has been jailed since July 2023, and Karim Wade, son of former president Abdoulaye Wade. Wade’s supporters in the National Assembly have called for a parliamentary inquiry into the impartiality of two judges on the Constitutional Court.
In the midst of these developments, Rose Wardini, one of the two approved female candidates, was detained on accusations of concealing her French citizenship. The political landscape in Senegal is increasingly complex, with calls for unity among pro-democratic forces to oppose what some characterize as a “constitutional coup” by President Sall.
