President Macky Sall on Tuesday praised the virtues of dialogue, inviting Senegal’s economic, political and social leaders to engage in meaningful rapprochement to facilitate development, strengthen security and deepen peace.
Speaking in Dakar at the start of a national dialogue, the Senegalese leader said the initiative is an integral part of a ‘sacred union’.
“Dialogue is a democratic imperative that constitutes a powerful springboard for a nation to address the basic needs of its people and major challenges,” President Sall told the opening of the National Dialogue Day at the presidential palace.
“There are times when the requirement for a consensus prevails over the logic of affiliation. I have always believed that democracy cannot and should not be reduced to a permanent confrontation between power and the opposition, between the majority and the minority,” he posited.
Mr. Sall also stressed the need to build “space for consensus, in a global and sub-regional context and especially in the Sahel, strongly characterized by new threats from violent and destabilizing extremists.”
He warned that no country was immune to these threats, reemphasizing consensus for the sake of Senegal’s best interests.
“Political leaders, civil society, socio-professional groups, employers’ organizations, citizens, trade unions. I appeal to the will of all the components of our nation to build together concerted governance, the foundation of a peaceful democracy and a peaceful dynamic of the nation’s living forces,” he said.
Stressing in particular the start to political dialogue in Senegal, Sall stated that one of the challenges in this area is reaching a consensus that reflects the national interests that the state will implement in accordance with institutional, political, economic, social and cultural balances.
On the electoral process, President Sall dwelt on the objective of bringing on the table issues such as the electoral calendar, the presidential term, the procedure and deadlines for publishing results, the financing of political parties and the status of the opposition and its leader.
In this regard, the Senegalese leader called on the political class to “show openness and a spirit of surpassing itself in order to reach fruitful agreements and neutralize any electoral disputes.”
Regarding issues surrounding the discovery of oil and gas in Senegal, he spoke about his conviction that “social inclusion should be an important factor in addressing the exploitation and transparency of industries in a responsible manner in order to find a strong consensus.”
President Sall finally called on the Senegalese people to join forces to “curb all harmful trends that destroy our environment and make it difficult to live in, to leave future generations a country they will be proud of.”
The steering committee for the national dialogue is led by former socialist Minister Famara Ibrahima Sagna.
He is described by President Sall as “a man of virtues, of dialogue, who has the capacity to overcome all divisions.”
DD/cat/lb/as/APA