Gambia’s President urged to help end Senegal’s political crisis
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - Gambian Civil society organisations (CSOs) have called on President Adama Barrow to engage his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall, to obtain his assurance and commitment to a free, fair, and peaceful presidential election as scheduled.
They also called on Banjul to assume "a leading and instrumental role" in ensuring that Senegal does not veer off the democratic path, a statement obtained by PANA said on Thursday.
“To ECOWAS and the African Union, we say this matter is of utmost urgency [and] therefore should ensure democracy does not suffer in Senegal and our Senegambia Region,” the CSOs said.
Senegal is facing a major political crisis after Parliament on Tuesday passed a controversial bill to postpone the presidential election from 25 February to 15 December 2024, with the opposition calling it a "constitutional coup" and the streets boiling with protests.
This followed last Saturday's announcement by President Sall that he had repealed the decree for 25 February presidential election pending the results of a parliamentary commission of enquiry aimed at clarifying the conditions under which certain candidacies were declared inadmissible.
The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United States, African Union Commission (AUC) and European Union have expressed concern about the unfolding political crisis and called on the authorities to restore the electoral calendar in accordance with the Constitution.
The Gambian CSOs said they have taken President Sall’s election postponement announcement with a grain of salt, stressing that the development endangers peace and stability in both The Gambia and Senegal.
“The Gambian Civil Society hereby wishes to state categorically that it has great reservations about the position taken by President Macky Sall, which is not only a violation of the Constitution but also threatens the peace and stability of both Senegal and The Gambia and undermines the democratic gains Senegal has registered over the years,” the press release said.
"We note with deep dismay that after serving his full two terms, President Macky Sall, who enjoyed a peaceful transfer of power from former President Abdoulaye Wade in 2012, would end his tenure and legacy by creating an unnecessary legal and institutional crisis in his country.”
The CSOs said the destiny of Gambia and Senegal are intertwined and cannot be separated hence the people of these two sister Republics cannot and must not ignore the prevailing conditions in either society, whether good or bad.
They therefore called on President Sall and all the relevant institutions in Senegal, especially the National Assembly, to withdraw from any acts or omissions that will undermine democracy and threaten the peace and stability of Senegal.
They also called on President Sall to immediately rescind his decision to postpone the election and rather provide all the necessary resources, space, and security to ensure that Senegalese go to the polls on 25 February 2024 to elect their new leaders.
The statement said the CSOs "strongly" hold that if ECOWAS and AU had indeed keenly followed the situation in Senegal over the past few years and engaged the Government of Sall accordingly, the current situation could have been avoided.
"Therefore, we call on the ECOWAS Heads of State and the Commission to ensure that nothing undermines constitutionalism in Senegal,” it said.
“As a region grappling with several military juntas amidst the broader context of longstanding armed conflicts, every effort must be exerted to ensure that Senegal does not become the latest basket case of a state to face unconstitutional change of government or civil strife. Senegal must not be allowed to fall. Up until these unfortunate actions, Senegal was a leading beacon of democracy and hope for not only West Africa but also for the rest of the continent,” added the release.
-0- PANA MSS/MA 8Feb2024
