Senegalese opposition leader Bassirou Faye confirmed winner of presidential election
Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – Senegalese opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye was on Wednesday declared winner of last Sunday's presidential election in the first round with 54.28% of the votes.
The Senegalese Press Agency (APS) said the National Votes Census Commission, which announced the provisional results at the Dakar Court of Appeal, said former Prime Minister and the outgoing government's candidate, Amadou Ba, 62, came second with of 35.79%.
Turnout was 61.30.
There were 19 names on the ballot.
The official and final results of the election will be published in the coming days by the Constitutional Council.
APS said this will be followed by the swearing in of the president-elect and the official transfer of power from the outgoing head of state, Macky Sall, whose mandate ends on 2 April.
The other candidates have since Sunday night congratulated Faye, 44, for his historic victory, having been released from prison only a few days before the election.
Faye's supporters poured into the streets on Sunday night waving the national flag, singing, dancing, tooting car horns, blowing vuvuzelas and setting off fireworks as they saw the trend of the favourable results from the polling stations.
The vote came as Senegal came from the brink following political developments after President Sall's decree postponing the election, originally scheduled for 25 February. The decree led to street protests in which at least three people died.
President Sall had issued the decree postponing the election 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's declaration of Parliament's vote unconstitutional calmed the political tension.
Independent human rights experts in a statement last week 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 electoral period.
A UN statement said the Human Rights Council-appointed experts had previously raised concerns with the Government about the prosecution and detention of opposition leaders and their supporters.
They also welcomed the recent release of over 500 detainees, which included Faye and his colleague Ousmane Sonko.
The country has seen political turbulence leading to violence, deaths, arrests and detention of opposition figures, all of which benefited the opposition.
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" after being in power for 12 years.
-0- PANA MA 27March2024
