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The status of Senegal as the sole democracy in West Africa devoid of coups is in jeopardy.
Just a few weeks before the scheduled date of February 25, Senegal’s President Macky Sall unilaterally postponed presidential elections by many months, setting up protests throughout a nation already unsettled by months of political unrest. The National Assembly was thrown into disarray on Monday when police used tear gas on demonstrators gathering outside and opposition members who attempted to stop a bill that would have extended the delay were taken into custody.
Sall, who has declared he will not seek a third term and whose two-term term ends on April 2, said the postponement was required due to a disagreement over the list of candidates authorized to participate in the polls. This is the first time in the nation that elections have been postponed. There are rumors that he postponed the elections because he is uneasy about Prime Minister Amadou Ba’s popularity. Ba is the nominee for Sall’s coalition, Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY), and has the Constitutional Council’s approval. Regarding the situation, Ba’s office has remained silent.
Since Sall has been in government since 2012 and is no longer eligible to run for office, many Senegalese are upset about the postponement and think he is attempting to hold onto power longer. Parties opposed to the postponement have filed a lawsuit to get it reversed.
Following Sall’s announcement of the change, throngs of people gathered in Dakar’s capital to demonstrate, but the police forcibly dispersed them.
Here are the reasons behind Senegalese voters’ skepticism and the implications of the postponement for the nation.
Why did the vote get pushed back?
Following speculation on Senegalese social media over a potential postponement, Sall declared in a televised speech on February 3 that the elections scheduled for February 25 would, in fact, be postponed.
The following day, on February 4, the official campaign season was to begin and run until the elections on February 25.
Sall stated in his statement on Saturday that he would endeavor to resolve the problems that had emerged after the nation’s Constitutional Council disqualified a few well-known candidates for failing to meet certain requirements. Legislators began an investigation into the accreditation process in January due to concerns about potential discrimination in the council’s selection process.
Karim Wade, a former minister and the son of former president Abdoulaye Wade, is one of the candidates who has been disqualified for breaking the regulations by holding dual citizenship with Senegal and France. Wade moved to Qatar in 2016 after being granted a presidential pardon by Sall, which allowed him to be released from prison. He was serving a six-year sentence for corruption at the time, and he hasn’t tried to enter the nation since.
The Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), Wade’s opponent, had earlier filed a legal request to postpone the poll.It is also widely believed that Sall’s biggest rival, Ousmane Sonko, has been left out. Sonko, who came in third in the 2019 elections and has been a major source of political unrest over the last three years, was excluded due to his criminal history after being imprisoned in 2023 on suspicion of “corrupting minors and inciting insurrection.” Sonko remains in custody.
Sall declared that he had signed an order nullifying the laws requiring elections every five years. Unanswered concerns have been raised regarding Senegal’s Constitution and whether a president can essentially suspend the need for an election with a proclamation.
In order to address the problems inside the council, Sall further said that he would start a “national dialogue” and implement “reconciliation” initiatives, but he did not elaborate on what these actions would include.
“By planting the seeds of pre- and post-election disputes, these troubled conditions could seriously undermine the credibility of the ballot,” he stated in the live address, restating his intention not to seek reelection for a third term.
Is it possible for the president to postpone an election?
Although there are specialists who argue that the president has the authority to delay elections, Oumar Ba, a political scientist at Cornell University in the United States, asserts that Sall’s modifications are compliant with current rules.
Ba stated, “Take note that he issued an order that nullified the previous decree that had summoned voters to the polls on February 25. The president made it clear in his speech that the real postponement was started by an opposition party in the National Assembly and approved by a vote there.”
“In my opinion, it’s critical to remember the institutional framework that the crisis’s moving elements are acting inside. But this also demonstrates how implausible Sall’s assertion that the postponement is necessary due to an institutional crisis is. There doesn’t seem to be an institutional crisis because every institution is functioning as it should.
What response did voters give?
The Senegalese populace has not reacted positively to Sall’s declaration.
“In my opinion, it’s critical to remember the institutional framework that the crisis’s moving elements are acting inside. But this also demonstrates how implausible Sall’s assertion that the postponement is necessary due to an institutional crisis is. There doesn’t seem to be an institutional crisis because every institution is functioning as it should.
What response did voters give?
The Senegalese populace has not reacted positively to Sall’s declaration.
Since the president made a remark in December 2020 that appeared to imply he might seek a third term, which is prohibited by the constitution, tensions have been building throughout the nation. At the time, Sall’s supporters contended that a revision of the constitution (which altered the duration of the presidency)
Despite Sall’s declaration in a July 2023 interview that he would not run, widespread mistrust persisted due to his perceived harsh tactics against the opposition in previous times.
Deadly riots broke out in March 2021 following the arrest of Sonko, a well-liked youngster in Senegal, on charges of raping a female massage parlor employee. At the time, he was also dealing with a number of legal issues, one of which was that he had “insulted” and defamed another politician. Sonko’s supporters maintain that he is innocent of all charges and that the proceedings are politically motivated.
Following Sonko’s arrest in March, hundreds of his followers took to the streets. During three days of nationwide rioting, the police used live bullets to put an end to about 13 deaths. During the unrest, the internet was also blocked by the Senegalese government.
In June 2023, Sonko—who also serves as mayor of Ziguinchor, a city in the south—was found not guilty of the rape charges and received a two-year prison sentence for the lower misdemeanor charge of “corrupting minors.” He’s being held in custody at the moment. Sonko was going to run in these elections as an independent, but his party, African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (PASTEF), was dissolved.
Sonko’s lawyers contested the judgment that removed him from the elections list due to his conviction, and as a result, the Supreme Court declared that he was qualified to run in December 2023. Nevertheless, he has not been added back to the list of 20 authorized candidates by the electoral college. On January 5, the council stated that Sonko had failed to provide evidence of money exceeding $50,000, which is a prerequisite, in his application. Reporters had previously been informed by Sonko’s legal team that government agencies were making it difficult for them to get all the required paperwork.
How did the opposition respond to Sall’s declaration?
Following Sall’s announcement over the weekend to postpone the elections, the National Assembly enacted a bill on Monday, February 5, solidifying the president’s decision and setting a new election date of December 15. Out of the 165 assembly members, 105 supported the bill.
During the bill’s debate, a few opposition politicians were forcibly removed from the chamber, and some members physically attempted to obstruct the vote process, which resulted in mayhem.
Three opposition MPs were taken into custody, a leader of the opposition told Reuters. Guy Marius Sagna was one of those who attempted to obstruct the dais in order to prevent the assembly from holding a vote. The majority of legislators that supported the bill came from the coalition that is in power, Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY). Groups opposed to the bill said it did nothing more than prolong Sall’s term in office.
As the law was being debated, a large number of opponents and demonstrators gathered outside the National Assembly building in Dakar to voice their concerns. To scatter them, Senegalese police used tear gas.
In an effort to contest the election’s postponement, two opposition parties have submitted legal cases.
What response has the world community given this?
Concern has been voiced by nations and international organizations. Senegal is one of the few nations in Africa—certainly the only one in West Africa, excepting Cape Verde—that has never had a military takeover. But Sall’s declaration over the weekend and the recent violence are damaging the party’s image, with rival candidates likening his action to an aggressive seizure of power.
The US Department of State declared on Tuesday that the delay was “contrary to Senegal’s strong democratic tradition.”
In a statement on Monday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) hinted that the postponement might be illegal but did not specifically mention the new election date. Three countries with strong military leadership have left the regional economic bloc: Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. This has left the group in a difficult position.
“The bloc stated in a statement that the ECOWAS Commission urges the political class to immediately take the required steps to re-establish the electoral calendar in conformity with the provisions of the constitution.”
In a statement, the African Union expressed alarm over the elections’ postponement. It stated that the elections must to take place “in transparency, peace, and national harmony” as soon as feasible.
What comes next?
Dakar’s streets have temporarily reverted to a calm state as people await the details of Sall’s planned changes to the voting system and the Constitutional Council. Despite calls for large-scale protests on Senegalese social media, there is still a noticeable police presence to dissuade gatherings.
Sall’s office issued a statement on Wednesday, stating that the Ministry of Justice ought to “calm down the public area” in light of the disturbances that his declaration from Saturday generated.
Following the legislative decision late on Monday, the Senegalese telecommunications agency declared that it would restrict mobile internet use; however, services have already been restored. Authorities claim that Walf TV, a private television network, was taken off the air for “inciting violence.”
In his speech on Saturday, the president once again stated that he would not compete for office, but opposition organizations deny his assertions that he is acting in the best interests of the nation.
Vice President Yassine Fall of the now-dissolved PASTEF told Al Jazeera, “We feel this is a constitutional coup.”
“This is what Macky Sall is doing against us, not for us. He is aware that if elections are held, we will win handily, but he still wants to hold onto power or have a member of his party win.
In his speech on Saturday, the president once again stated that he would not compete for office, but opposition organizations deny his assertions that he is acting in the best interests of the nation.
Vice President Yassine Fall of the now-dissolved PASTEF told Al Jazeera, “We feel this is a constitutional coup.”
“This is what Macky Sall is doing against us, not for us. He is aware that if elections are held, we will win handily, but he still wants to hold onto power or have a member of his party win.
Regarding the steps he would take to overhaul the Constitutional Council, Sall has not released any additional information. Experts predict that he will probably disband the group and create a new one.
Source: Aljazeera
