Highlights: President Macky Sall announced an indefinite postponement of this election on February 25. He explains this decision by the need to calm the climate and lift the veil on disputes over candidacies and accusations of corruption. But the big question remains that of the calendar. When will voters be called again? Karim Wade's coalition has requested a six-month postponement. This is the first time in the country's history that an election has been postponed. It also risks creating new divisions and plunging Senegal into the unknown.

In Senegal, there will therefore be no presidential election on February 25. A few hours before the start of the electoral campaign, President Macky Sall announced an indefinite postponement of this election. He…

Presidential election in Senegal: after the announcement of the postponement, the question of the calendar is on everyone's mind

In Senegal, there will therefore be no presidential election on February 25. A few hours before the start of the electoral campaign, President Macky Sall announced an

indefinite

postponement of this election. He explains this decision by the need to calm the climate and lift the veil on disputes over candidacies and accusations of corruption. The Senegalese head of state reiterated his commitment not to run, but he did not mention a duration for this postponement.

During his speech, the Senegalese head of state (our photo) reiterated his commitment not to appear, but he did not mention a duration for this postponement. © Macky Sall's Facebook page

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in Dakar,

Léa-Lisa Westerhoff

A parliamentary commission which has just opened an investigation into the selection process of presidential candidates, accusations of corruption by two judges of the Constitutional Council and a candidate who allegedly lied about her nationality: for Macky Sall these “

troubled conditions

” and the risk of contesting the results of the presidential election justifies its postponement.

When will there be a new summons?

But the big question remains that of the calendar. When will voters be called again? Karim Wade's coalition has requested a six-month postponement of the presidential election in a bill which has a strong chance of being adopted. So what will happen on April 2, the official date of the end of Macky Sall's mandate? If the president renewed his promise not to run, extending his mandate violates the Constitution and his previous commitments, observers point out.

President Macky Sall also promised to open a dialogue to create the conditions for free and transparent elections in a peaceful Senegal. But who will participate and decide what? while the country has just concluded a national dialogue, as noted by opposition candidate Khalifa Sall.

Senegal in the unknown

If this decision should serve to appease Senegal, it also risks creating new divisions and plunging Senegal into the unknown. Last night, Saturday February 3, the opposition candidates promised to continue their campaign and called for resistance. And shortly after Macky Sall's announcement, Minister Secretary General of the Government Abdou Latif Coulibaly, who is also the brother of one of the judges of the Constitutional Council, announced his resignation.

This is the first time in the country's history that an election has been postponed. For journalist Antoine Glaser, a specialist in current affairs on the continent, this illustrates the current political vagueness in this country, with in particular a divided majority on the choice of Amadou Ba as candidate for the Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition: “There

were tensions, he wasn't really his party's candidate, I don't know the secrets of the gods, but I imagine that there must have been a certain number of tests to find out if he could come out at the first round and it was not going to be very conclusive.

“

For the first time in this country, the lines are no longer at all clear and we feel that there is ultimately great disarray in the coalition party, the parties among themselves are very worried about their future. It is nevertheless visible that there is a whole part of the population - and in particular the youth - who do not want to embrace the president's kind of animosity against Ousmane Sonko. We are in a period of crisis in Senegal, in such regional turmoil, this traditional political class, that's it, everything was a little framed, managed... Finally there are questions about this country as there are in general countries in the West African region

,” concludes Antoine Glaser.

Read alsoSenegal: the presidential election of February 25 postponed “sine die”

Presidential election in Senegal: after the announcement of the postponement, the question of the calendar is on everyone's mind

Presidential election in Senegal: after the announcement of the postponement, the question of the calendar is on everyone's mind

When will there be a new summons?

Senegal in the unknown

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