Senegal: Senegalese Presidential Candidates Unite in Name for New Election Date

Fifteen of the 20 candidates who have been accredited to face in Senegal’s delayed February presidential ballot have known as for the brand new vote to be held no later than 2 April, the day President Macky Sall’s time period formally ends.

“The brand new polling date and the date for the handover between the president and his successor should be held no later than 2 April”, the 15 contenders wrote in a signed letter, printed on Monday.

They added that the listing of 20 names accredited in January ought to stay the identical.

The doc was signed by among the main contenders, together with detained anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye and former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, who shouldn’t be associated to the president.

It was not signed by Prime Minister Amadou Ba, who’s the presidential camp’s personal candidate.

The letter’s signatories expressed “bitterness that, because the resolution of the Constitutional Council, no motion has been taken by the authorities to implement it”.

On Saturday, 1000’s of Senegalese residents additionally joined the primary authorised protest in Senegal’s capital since President Macky Sall postponed elections.

Guarantees

Sall has stated final Friday that he meant to respect the Constitutional Council‘s ruling and can “perform the consultations essential to organise the presidential election as quickly as potential”.

Sall stunned everybody when he introduced the postponement of the 25 February vote simply hours earlier than official campaigning was because of start on 3 February.

The transfer plunged Senegal into its worst political turmoil in a long time.

Nevertheless, when the highest constitutional physique overturned the choice final week, it left open the query of the election date, and did not determine if the poll will function the identical candidates.

Name for dialogue

The collective Aar Sunu Election is asking for a vote as shortly as potential, on 3 or 10 March, even when it means decreasing the marketing campaign time.

For this residents’ collective, the “consultations” with the president should solely relate to the voting calendar, and the vote should be held with the candidates already chosen by the Constitutional Council.

Within the opposition, the previous Pastef party and supporters of the candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye additionally shared in a press launch their requires the election to be held “imperatively earlier than the expiration of the president’s mandate” and demanded the discharge of their candidate within the identify of “equal remedy”.

However inside the majority, voices are pleading for the organisation of a broader nationwide dialogue earlier than the vote, and to “take the time for dialogue”.

The identical demand comes from the candidates who did not make the listing: They need a “nationwide session” to “revise the electoral regulation” and subsequently to start out the method from scratch.

Amongst them is Karim Wade, whose PDS get together had requested the postponement of the election.

The nation is as soon as once more awaiting an announcement from the pinnacle of state.

(with AFP)