Senegal opposition leader Faye gets big boost from former ruling party
Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - Former President Abdoulaye Wade’s Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) announced on Friday that it is joining the main opposition coalition’s candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, in Sunday's presidential election, giving a new dimension to the vote.
The Constitutional Council had disqualified Karim Wade, the PDS’s flagbearer and the former President’s son, from the presidential race over his dual citizenship.
The Supreme Court also rejected his bid to cancel or delay the presidential vote beyond March 24.
And the PDS, in a surprise move, declared its support for Faye, whom popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has chosen as his preferred candidate following his disqualification after conviction for “misleading” Senegalese youths. Both men are beneficiaries of a recent general amnesty announced by out-going President Macky Sall, whose ruling Alliance for the Republic, APR, is fielding former Prime Minister Amadou Ba in the presidential contest.
With new political alignments developing, Faye appears to have received a major shot in the arm in the first round of the election.
Under Senegal's constitution, the winner in the first round should obtain 50% + 1 of the votes. Otherwise, the two frontrunners will go into a run-off.
Senegal’s estimated 7.4 million registered voters are expected vote in the postponed election that would end the political challenges the country was thrown into when President Macky Sall postponed the 25 February vote.
Reports from across the country indicate that all is set for the crucial election which has attracted great international attention.
There are 19 candidates in the first round of the election.
Independent human rights experts have urged authorities to ensure that political parties, journalists and human rights defenders can exercise their right to freedom of association, assembly and expression during the upcoming electoral period.
The date for the first round of the vote was announced by President Sall, who told the Council of Ministers meeting early this month that he selected the date after the Constitutional Council had ruled that holding the election after 2 April, the date marking the end of his second term, was contrary to the Constitution.
The election had been originally scheduled for 25 February, but President Sall issued a decree postponing it citing suspicions of corruption concerning some magistrates who examined the applications of 93 people to contest the vote.
Parliament then voted to delay the election until 15 December in a chaotic session during which security forces removed opposition lawmakers. The Constitutional Court declared Parliament's vote unconstitutional.
A UN statement on Tuesday said the Human Rights Council-appointed experts have previously raised concerns with the Government about the prosecution and detention of opposition leaders and their supporters.
They also welcomed the release of over 500 detainees last week which included opposition leaders Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, although they only have days left to campaign before the 24 March election.
The regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is deploying 130 Long-term and Short-term observers led by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Nigeria's former Foreign Minister and United Nations Under-Secretary General, to monitor the electoral processes.
Campaign for the election was from 9-22 March, according to a decree signed by President Sall.
Fourteen ECOWAS Long-term observers (LTOs), are already on ground monitoring various stages to ensure compliance with international standards.
They will be joined by their Short-term colleagues this week.
President Sall has repeatedly said he would leave office at the end of his mandate on 2 April, saying he has refused "to be tempted by a third term".
-0- PANA MA 23March2024
