The Constitutional Court annulled President Sall’s decree that amended the election schedule (Reuters)

The Senegalese Constitutional Court announced yesterday, Thursday, that it had annulled the decision to postpone the presidential elections from February 25 to December 15, in light of one of the most serious crises the country has experienced in decades.

The court ruled that the law approved by the National Assembly on February 5 was unconstitutional, which led to the postponement of the elections for 10 months and the retention of President Macky Sall in office until a successor is elected, according to the minutes of meetings of the Senegalese Constitutional Council and a judicial document published on social media sites. Its authenticity was confirmed by a source inside the court.

Presidential candidates and opposition lawmakers filed a number of legal challenges to the parliamentary bill last week, a bill that would also extend the president's term, which critics described as amounting to an "institutional coup."

The Constitutional Court also annulled President Sall's decree that modified the election schedule just 3 weeks before its scheduled date.

The court noted “the impossibility of organizing the presidential elections on the originally scheduled date” on February 25, due to the delay in the process, and “calls on the competent authorities to hold them as soon as possible.”

The postponement sparked protests from the opposition and civil society and condemnations of a “constitutional coup.” Demonstrations were organized during which 3 people were killed and dozens were arrested. Senegal's most prominent partners expressed their concern about the risk of violence, calling on the government to hold elections as soon as possible.

A number of dissidents released in conjunction with the decision of the (French) Constitutional Court

Calls for demonstrations

New calls for demonstrations were issued today, Friday, and a march is also scheduled to be organized at the invitation of a civil coalition tomorrow, Saturday.

In the face of the protests, President Sall expressed his desire to find ways to "calm down."

The Constitutional Court's decision was issued in conjunction with the release of a number of opponents, who were arrested against the backdrop of the political turmoil witnessed in recent years.

Suleiman Djim, a member of the Association of Families of Political Prisoners, believes that “international pressure prompted President Macky Sall to issue orders for their release,” stressing that the release operations are underway.

The leading candidate for the 2024 presidential elections, Ousman Sonko, and his deputy in leadership of his dissolved party, Basiro Diomaye Faye, are behind bars. Both have been detained since 2023. There is currently no information about their possible release.

The opposition accused the presidential camp of making arrangements related to the electoral calendar, and suspected there was a maneuver to keep Sall in power, which the latter denies.

President Sall justified the postponement by the disagreements raised by the pre-election process, and his fear that rejecting the ballot results would lead to the outbreak of new violence.

Source: Agencies