Senegal’s presidential election campaign will open on Saturday 9 March. The nineteen candidates selected by the Constitutional Court will have fourteen days to convince the electorate. This is an exceptional episode in the country’s democratic life, as presidential campaigns usually last three weeks.
This situation is due to the “institutional crisis” that arose in the middle of the electoral process, following allegations of corruption against members of the Supreme Judicial Council, which led the Head of State to revoke the decree calling the electorate to vote in the election originally scheduled for 25 February.
Following the postponement, several foreign observers were ordered to return home. But after the outgoing head of state set a new date on Wednesday, the African Union (AU) said in a statement seen by APA that it would “deploy an observer mission commensurate with the stakes” of the election.
“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, welcomes the peaceful resolution of the institutional crisis in Senegal. He hailed President Macky Sall’s decision to hold elections on 24 March 2024, before the end of his mandate on 2 April 2024. This wise decision reflects the depth and resilience of Senegalese democracy, of which Africa has always been proud,” said the Chadian diplomat, calling on members of the international community to “express their support and solidarity” with the West African country “for the success of free and transparent elections in the country.”
Mahamat urged all political and civil society actors to commit to a transparent, inclusive and peaceful electoral process that respects the principles of the rule of law and Senegal’s democratic traditions.
ODL/ac/lb/abj/APA