In Senegal, Ousmane Sonko will not be able to re-register on the electoral rolls

On Tuesday, October 31, a department in the Senegalese Ministry of the Interior rejected the Electoral Commission’s request to return competitor Ousmane Sonko to the electoral lists and issue him basic documents for his candidacy in the 2024 presidential elections.

In response to the letter of the Independent National Elections Commission, the General Directorate of Elections confirms that… “He has no authority to take any action related to the electoral register.”. The General Directorate of Equality did not specify who has this jurisdiction. In its letter to the DGE, CENA wrote that Mr Sonko should do so “Enjoy your status as a registered voter on the electoral roll with all rights [qui y sont] attached “.

Mr. Sonko has been removed from the electoral rolls, which currently prevents him from competing in the presidential elections. The government essentially argued that the opponent was convicted in absentia in an ethics case in June to justify his impeachment. Ousmane Sonko, who has been imprisoned since the end of July on other charges, denounces these matters as conspiracies aimed at excluding him from the presidential election.

Appeal before the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States

A judge in Ziguinchor on October 12 ordered Mr. Sonko, at the heart of the turbulent and violent political and judicial saga that has kept Senegal in suspense for two-and-a-half years, to be re-listed. But the Ministry of Interior has so far refused to issue him the official forms that would allow him to collect his sponsorship, which is a necessary step for submitting the application.

Sina “Calls on the General Directorate of Elections to take the necessary measures to make the sponsorship form available to Mr. Ousmane Sonko’s representative as soon as possible.”“, she said in her letter. In its stated response, the DGRE stated that if it did not give the forms to Mr Sonko’s representatives, it was because he did not appear on the lists, a position confirmed by the Supreme Court on 6 October.

The Independent National Electoral Commission monitors and supervises the electoral process, from registration to the lists until the provisional announcement of the results. The elections are organized by the Ministry of Interior. However, a spokesman for the Independent National Electoral Commission admitted to AFP that the commission could not restrict the Interior Ministry.

Mr Sonko’s lawyers on Tuesday also appealed the refusal to issue his sponsorship forms to the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of African States (ECOWAS). The regional court decided to give itself until November 6 to resolve disputes related to this case.