Protests against the postponement of the elections began Sunday in the capital, Dakar (French).

The opposition in Senegal called - on Sunday - for demonstrations in the capital, Dakar, to protest President Macky Sall's announcement of postponing the presidential elections that were scheduled for February 25.

The decision to postpone is considered an unprecedented step in Senegal, which sparked great dissatisfaction in political circles.

Senegalese gendarmes fired tear gas bombs in Dakar on Sunday at hundreds of people who had gathered to protest the postponement of the presidential elections.

Men and women of all ages gathered in the afternoon on one of the main roads in the capital, in response to the call of many candidates.

Presidential candidate Anta Babacar Njoum's campaign manager said that Senegalese security forces arrested her - today, Sunday - near a protest against the postponement of the elections.

Several opposition candidates have announced that they will ignore President Sall's decision and continue to campaign.

Opposition spokesman Sheikh Tidiane said on Sunday, “We reject the decree (which postpones the presidential elections). We ask all Senegalese to join us in a march” in Dakar.

Senegalese opposition figure Khalifa Sall - one of the main candidates - called on the whole country to "resist" the decision to postpone the vote.

Police officers patrol the streets in the capital, Dakar, after the opposition called for protests (French)

A period of uncertainty

Externally, the European Union confirmed that postponing the presidential elections leads to a “period of uncertainty” in the country, calling for elections to be held “as soon as possible.”

Earlier, France called on Senegal to dispel the "doubts" resulting from the postponement and organize the vote "as soon as possible."

The United States called on the political parties - on Saturday - to "contribute peacefully to setting a new date and new conditions for free and fair elections."

For its part, the regional organization ECOWAS expressed its "concern" and asked the authorities to work to quickly set a new date.

President Sall announced - on Saturday - hours before the official start of the campaign, the cancellation of the decree setting the date of the presidential elections on February 25 of this year.

Senegalese President Macky Sall (French)

Backgrounds to the postponement decision

President Sall said that Senegal cannot “afford a new crisis” after the bloody unrest in March 2021 and June 2023, announcing a “national dialogue for free and transparent elections” and stressing his commitment not to run.

This is the first time since 1963 that presidential elections have been postponed in Senegal, which has never witnessed a coup, which is a rare thing on the African continent.

President Sall referred to the conflict that broke out between the Constitutional Council and Parliament after the final approval by the court of 20 nominations and the cancellation of dozens of other nominations.

On the initiative of Karim Wade - the candidate who questioned the integrity of two constitutional judges and demanded that the elections be postponed - the Assembly agreed to form an investigation committee into the conditions for approving nominations.

The Senegalese parliament is scheduled to meet - tomorrow, Monday - to discuss the draft law presented by candidate and oppositionist Karim Wade to postpone the presidential elections for 6 months. The text must obtain the approval of two-thirds of the 165 representatives to be approved.

Source: Agencies