APA – Dakar (Senegal) – Backed by the outgoing ruling coalition, candidate Amadou Ba aims to win Senegal’s presidential election of March 24th.
The former prime minister, who was relieved by President Macky Sall on 6th March to concentrate on his election campaign, says he wants to start implementing his “long-term vision” for Senegal.
As the candidate of the ruling Benno Bokk Yakaar or United in Hope (BBY) presidential coalition, Ba, 62, is presenting a “transformative and realistic programme.”
Conceived and drawn up by BBY leaders and executives and independent experts from the country, his manifesto is entitled “In peace towards shared prosperity.”
It is based “on the foundations and achievements defined in the Plan Senegal Emergent (PSE),” which guided the government of incumbent President Macky Sall during his two terms in office.
An economist by training, Ba believes that the “sole purpose” of his programme is “prosperity for all, shared prosperity.”
He therefore intends to “accelerate the structural transformation of the economy” and promote growth to build a competitive, inclusive and resilient economy that creates decent jobs, “with the creation of more than one million jobs by 2028.”
Candidate Ba intends to focus on “human wealth” to strengthen the resilience of communities in the face of disaster risks.
If elected as Senegal’s fifth president, he also promises to take up the challenge of genuine peace, “for governance and diplomacy geared towards stability and security,” supported by the management of a modern, transparent and efficient public administration.
A candidate for “change”
“We firmly believe that good governance practices contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of public policies. Good governance requires the establishment of the rule of law and strong institutions in an environment of peace, stability and security. Our governance programme draws its energy from peace and security for all Senegalese, in their person and property, in their integrity and dignity,” says the former head of government, who had previously headed several key ministries under President Macky Sall.
While he has so far stuck with the “candidate of continuity” slogan, Mr. Ba, who has had a long career as a tax and property inspector, is hammering home the need to “bring real change and break with the past, while preserving the gains and safeguarding the values and heritage of the nation.”
Ba says should he carry the day, he will focus on the next four years to fulfil his mission as head of state.
According to him, the cost of Senegal’s projects, programmes and reforms for the period 2024-2028 is an estimated 27,182 billion CFA francs, including 14,511 billion for the public sector.
The private sector is expected to contribute an estimated 45 percent of this total.
In his election manifesto, Ba promises that 63.5 percent of this reform policy will focus on the development of energy infrastructure and services, agriculture, industry and road transport infrastructure and services.
Education and training, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, urban planning and housing are also featured in his manifesto. According to his blueprint, the environment and sustainable development will receive 25.7 percent, while 10.8 percent of this huge budget will be used to improve the efficiency, quality and accessibility of public services, social and territorial equity and justice, as well as security and sovereignty.
A budget of more than 27 000 billion CFA
“All these reforms require substantial resources, which we will be able to mobilise to realise the vision we have for our beloved Senegal,” says ba, a former Economy and Finance Minister.
The man who describes himself as “a unifying candidate for a stable, prosperous and secure Senegal” claims that “from the time I entered public service until today, I have been a servant of the state. I’ve been able to contribute to some fine achievements of which I’m proud, but I’ve also learned from my areas of improvement. My career has taken me into the fields of taxation and public finance, government affairs, economics and diplomacy. I have understood the need to give priority to the anticipation of problems, respect for human dignity, the sanctity of a job well done, the preservation of public resources, the fair distribution of wealth and the development of human beings without discrimination”.
Amadou Ba, who spent many years in the civil service before actively entering politics following Macky Sall’s victory over Abdoulaye Wade in the 2012 presidential elections, was Director-General of Taxes and Estates.
He then spent six years as Minister of the Economy and Finance (2013 – 2019) during Macky Sall’s first term in office. During this period, he travelled to France twice, in 2014 and 2018, to defend the Plan Senegal Emergent Plan (PSE), the outgoing president’s flagship governance programme, at the Paris Club, where he obtained several financing commitments from investors. These episodes brought him popularity and hostility.
A troubled political career
According to some observers, the jealousy provoked by his success at the Ministry of Finance is behind his transfer to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the 2019 presidential elections. He did not hold the post for long, however, before being forced out of the government a few months after his appointment, along with a number of people close to President Macky Sall. His opponents within the ruling coalition accused him of being in a hurry to occupy the presidency.
It was only after he was reinstated as prime minister that the head of the APR (President Sall’s party) in Parcelles Assainies, a commune on the outskirts of Dakar, made his comeback complete.
However, Amadou Ba will have to fight against certain pejoratives, such as being called a “billionaire civil servant” or a “corrupter” by some of his opponents.
The candidate of the presidential majority was recently implicated in the alleged corruption of two judges of the constitutional court, which plunged the country into an institutional crisis for more than a month, with the repeal of the decree calling the electorate to the polls, originally scheduled for 25 February, and the adoption of a law postponing the presidential elections until 15 December 2024.
The complaint was lodged by MPs from the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) of former President Abdoulaye Wade after the high court annulled the candidacy of his son, Karim Wade, on the grounds that his opponent, who had lived in exile in Qatar for several years, had not renounced his French citizenship. The Council then intervened to annul the head of state’s repeal of the decree and the parliament’s decision to postpone the election. On 6 March, it decided to set the date for the first round on 31 March, following an appeal by opposition candidates. This date was eventually changed to 24 March by presidential decree.
While observers of Senegal’s political landscape suggested that the ruling coalition wanted to change candidates and thus disrupt the electoral process, Amadou Ba did not see fit to resign as head of government, despite the seriousness of the accusations against him.
Although the head of state renewed his “confidence” in him in the Council of Ministers, he decided to dismiss him on Wednesday 6 March so that he could concentrate on his campaign, according to official statements.
ODL/ac/lb/as/APA