Senegal: Macky Sall justifies the postponement of the presidential election in the Council of Ministers, the opposition is organizing
Macky Sall took advantage of the first Council of Ministers meeting on February 7, 2024 since the announcement of the postponement of the presidential election to justify its postponement. The Head of State renewed his call for dialogue with all political actors in the country. “
We must not fall into the trap of dialogue
,” an opposition party executive immediately responded.
[Illustrative image] Senegalese President Macky Sall arriving on the second day of the 36th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) Assembly at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, February 19, 2023. AFP - AMANUEL SILESHI
By: RFI Follow
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With our correspondent in Dakar,
Léa-Lisa Westerhoff
On the accusation made to him of trying to stay in power first, Macky Sall repeated his decision of not wanting to take part in
Senegal
's next presidential election . “
It is not the one who sought to shorten a 7-year mandate who will try to eat away 10
months,” commented the Secretary General of the government, Seydou Gueye, contacted by RFI.
No one should any longer suspect the president of wanting to keep power
.”
While many were wondering about the fate of majority candidate Amadou Ba, the Head of State also renewed his confidence in the Prime Minister, also asked that all arrangements be made to organize the presidential election on the new date set, on December 15, 2024. Clearly, Amadou Ba remains, for the moment, the candidate of the presidential majority.
Finally, Macky Sall renewed his call for dialogue with all political actors in the country to “
strengthen the credibility of institutions
” and that of the election. “
What interests him is to have a peaceful election with no protests
,” commented Seydou Gueye.
The head of state who also asked the Minister of Justice, Aïssata Tall Sall, to take measures to pacify the public space. Some see it as a call for the release of certain political detainees. “
He asked the minister to look at all the provisions that would make it possible to achieve this [the pacification of public space, Editor’s note]. So it concerns cases which are in court
,” commented Seydou Gueye, confirming that this was indeed the case of political detainees.
“
Before any dialogue, we must restore the principle of the election on February 25
”
“
We must not fall into the trap of dialogue
,” immediately reacted an executive from Ousmane Sonko’s opposition party, Amadou Ba. "
The Red line ? it’s the postponement
,” says the man who is also the representative of candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye. “
Before any dialogue, we must reestablish the principle of the election on February 25
,” he adds.
Furthermore, a civil society platform calls for mobilization. “Protect our election”, which has just been created, brings together around forty organizations, unions and independent personalities.
She calls for a walkout in schools from 10 a.m. on February 9, and for the mobilization of religious communities, particularly Muslims during the big Friday prayer, encouraged to come dressed in white or in the colors of the Senegalese flag to ask to return to the electoral calendar. Same in churches on Sunday.
Finally, around twenty deputies are preparing to seize the Constitutional Council today in the hope that the highest judicial body of the country declares the law on the postponement of the presidential election to December 15 contrary to the Senegalese Constitution.
And then, another measure, this joint editorial taken up by the entire Senegalese press to denounce the definitive closure of the television channel Walf TV and call for a return to constitutional order...
Read alsoSenegal: 13 opposition candidates join forces to protest against the postponement of the presidential election
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