After a new development, presidential elections must be held before the end of March

After witnessing an unprecedented political crisis, Senegal witnessed a new development of events on the evening of Wednesday, March 6. All eyes were on the National Assembly as MPs voted on the controversial amnesty bill, but the most important announcement of the day came from the Constitutional Council.

The Supreme Court demanded that the presidential elections be held before April 2, the date on which the second term of Macky Sall, who has been in power since 2012, ends. “Setting the election date after the term of the current President of the Republic is contrary to the Constitution.”justifying the judges, whose decisions are theoretically not subject to appeal.

Almost immediate reaction from the executive branch: The government was dissolved, a press release issued by the Council of Ministers announced, in order ” launch “ Currently former Prime Minister, and candidate of the ruling camp. Amadou Ba “He was relieved of his duties to devote himself to his election campaign.”We designate for the presidency. Former Interior Minister Siddiqui Kaba was tasked with forming a new government. Meanwhile, the first round of elections has been scheduled for March 24. A date is still uncertain, because in the process the Constitutional Council decided on March 31.

In the turmoil that followed accusations of corruption, and during the publication of the list of presidential candidates, members of the Constitutional Council once again removed the president and imposed a strict reading of the law, in Senegal, which was often praised for its “democratic model.” .

“This shows that institutions in Senegal are working well; we will abide by the decisions of the Constitutional Council.”According to estimates by Abdo Mbo, head of the parliamentary majority bloc, Benno Bock Yakar (“United in Hope”, BBY).

Karim Wade, the biggest loser from this transformation

This decision represents a sudden acceleration in the calendar, while the country has been living in a state of uncertainty since Mr. Sall announced, on February 3, the postponement of the presidential elections scheduled to be held after three weeks. Representatives had initially postponed the new vote to December 15, before the national dialogue, called for by the president, recommended that it be moved back to June 2.

In its decision of March 6, the Constitutional Council rejected all recommendations of the national dialogue held on February 26, which was boycotted by seventeen of the nineteen presidential candidates. Therefore, he does not want to hold elections after April 2, but he also rejects the idea of ​​a transitional period presented by the head of state after the end of his term. Finally, he refuses to review the list of candidates for the presidential elections published by the supreme body itself. Karim Wade, the son of President Abdoulaye Wade from 2000 to 2012, and leader of the Senegalese Democratic Party, appears to be one of the biggest losers from this decision. After being disqualified for giving up his French citizenship too late, he was hoping to return to the race for the top job.

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