Africa press review
In the spotlight: dark clouds over the legislative elections in Senegal…
Audio 04:29
A voter at a polling station in Dakar for the local elections, January 23, 2022. AFP - SEYLLOU
By: Frédéric Couteau Follow
4 mins
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“
The country is holding its breath
,” exclaims the daily
24 Hours
in Dakar.
“
The holding of the legislative elections (end of July) remains a mystery for the moment.
The decree issued on Monday by the Minister of the Interior, Antoine Felix Diome, which disqualifies the list of the (opposition) coalition Yewwi Askan Wi, on the main reason that it would be incomplete, this decree points to a situation of cacophony.
Pirouette or maneuver, in any case the legislative elections of July 31 are already traveling in terra incognita.
To this
, continues
24 Hours adds doubts about a possible manipulation of the Minister of the Interior, whose objective could be to rid the regime of Macky Sall of any potential competitor, including the leader of Pastef, Ousmane Sonko, who pulls everything only a whole conglomeration of opposition leaders.
»
Five years of political parenthesis?
"
The seeds of chaos
", launches
WalfQuotidien
on the front page.
“
The country runs great risks,
warns the newspaper,
if the national titular list of the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition does not participate in the legislative elections.
In addition to the various leaders of the opposition who would be absent from the National Assembly, the country could experience tensions even after the elections.
»
Indeed, points
out Walf
, if the great tenors of the opposition were deprived of election, “
it would be a big period of scarcity for the Yewwi since they could only count on the departmental lists.
Tenors like Sonko, Aïda Mbodj, Déthié Fall, Habib Sy, among others, would not be in the National Assembly.
This coalition could not, either, claim a parliamentary group and even less a majority in Parliament.
A + political parenthesis + that could last five years.
»
Towards a third term for Macky Sall?
The information site
Seneplus
raises its tone…
Seneplus
which denounces “
the decay of our electoral system which has suffered the repercussions of multiple tampering with both the constitution and the electoral code.
(…) An inextricable imbroglio full of uncertainties that could lead not only to an election emptied of all its meaning but also to uncontrolled political confrontations resembling a military putsch.
This risk is all the more real,
points
out Seneplus
again ,
that the President of the Republic seems to be throwing oil on the fire, by maintaining the vagueness about his desire to run for a third term (…).
Faced with these growing risks to civil peace, all opposition forces must unite to oppose a creeping dictatorship (…).
»
What response?
Comment from
Today
in Burkina Faso: “
one cannot fail to perceive the hand of power behind this temporary sidelining (of the opposition) pending the decision of the Constitutional Council.
'Bias', 'forfeiture', ''unacceptable provocation''
we complain on the side of Yewwi Askan Wi,
who promises ''a vigorous response'', and from this Friday.
In what form?,
asks
Today.
A walk ?
A meeting?
A press conference ?
What is certain is that the Senegalese power suggests that it is doing everything to limit the breakthrough of the opposition.
We saw it in the municipal elections, the coalition of the majority Benno Bokk Yakaar remains in the majority, but the opposition has broken through in municipalities that count, such as Dakar and Ziguinchor.
And if in these legislative elections, Yewwi Askan Wi still grabs deputy positions, the next presidential election will be more complicated for Benno.
»
According to
Sud Quotidien
, the opposition will demonstrate in Dakar on Friday: “
the promised demonstration against the supposed attempts to dismiss the list of Yewwi Askan Wi in the legislative elections will indeed take place.
Ousmane Sonko and his comrades plan to organize a rally on Friday, from 3 p.m., Place de la Nation.
»
What will the sages say?
In the meantime, “
the representative of the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition, Déthié Fall, went to the Constitutional Council yesterday.
He filed three appeals there
,” points out the
Senego
news site .
Will the opposition be heard by the high court?
Not sure… answers
WakatSéra
: “
these courses, most of the time, at least in the tropics, only serve the interests of the prince.
»
And
WakatSéra
wonders: “
in Senegal, will elegance and indulgence inhabit the great prud'hommes enough to win their case with an opposition that gives sleepless nights to the power of Macky Sall?
Question to a dish of Thiéboudiène, the famous Senegalese national dish of rice with fish!
»
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Senegal
Macky Hall