By RFIPalled on 02-23-2019Today the 23-02-2019 at 11:29

In Senegal, nearly 6.7 million voters are called to the polls on February 24. In total, 97% withdrew their cards, a rate never reached, say the authorities. The remaining 3% nevertheless represents 185,000 voters. Some have done everything Friday, February 22 to recover their cards or obtain a duplicate.

The gusts of wind and the biting sun have not discouraged the most valiant. At 48 hours before the poll, the line gets longer with the minutes in front of the Directorate General of Elections (DGE).

Massa Ndour has a smile. For him, everything went well. " I had three pieces before ," he says. Afterwards, I came to make a duplicate, and so I left it two weeks ago and then I came to get it back. But it went really well .

Planted in front of the gates of the DGE, eyes in a vacuum, Aissatou Darbo, 22, was not so lucky. Disappointed to miss her first presidential election, she believes that " no, they did not do their job, really. Because I deposited it in August and so far, I have not yet got my identity card. I am really disappointed .

Some have come from afar to collect their identity cards that allow voting. A native of Kaolack, where he is registered, Amadou Niang, born in 1961, waited in Dakar for his precious sesame that he now has. " I feel relieved. I'm going to Kaolack to vote, "he says and adds," I'm very happy, even. I am very satisfied . The authorities had planned to stop the distribution of cards this Friday, February 22. Exceptional measure: it will be possible to do it again this Saturday.

"The election campaign is proceeding with total normality"

The five candidates in the running, Madicke Niang, Issa Sall, Idrissa Seck, Macky Sall and Ousmane Sonko wrapped up their campaign on Friday night at midnight as the law says. They all called on their activists to vote overwhelmingly.

" I see that for the moment and except for a few isolated elements of violence, the election campaign is proceeding with complete normalcy ," said Spain's Elena Valenciano, head of the European Union Observation Mission. We want peaceful, democratic elections, with great participation. To really know the will of a people, it is necessary that the people express themselves. A [form] of expression is also abstention. But the more we make our choice, the easier it is to follow the policy, to demand, also, politicians to do their work. We can always demand when we have made a choice .

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