President Sall said that he would hold dialogues in the light of which he would set a new date for the presidential elections (Reuters)

Senegalese President Macky Sall said yesterday, Thursday, that his term will end as scheduled on April 2, but he left the new date for the presidential elections open, in light of one of the most serious crises the country has experienced in decades following his decision to postpone the elections that were scheduled for this month.

Amid the social and political tensions prevailing over the country, the president postponed making a decision on setting a new date for the elections until after a political dialogue is held in the country starting next Monday.

He confirmed in a television interview, “On April 2, 2024, my mission as president of Senegal will end,” which would dispel doubts - to some extent - about the possibility of him remaining in office for a longer period.

He added, "As for the date, we will see what the dialogue comes out of, and the elections could be held before or after the second of April."

But after being pressed by a group of journalists who were asking questions, Sall expressed his belief that it was not possible to hold the elections before that date.

He revealed that he will hold discussions next Monday and Tuesday with presidential candidates and other political and social figures, saying, "At the end of the dialogue we must have an appointment."

The president, parliament, and court

Sall had announced the postponement of the elections hours before the official start of the election campaigns.

Parliament supported the move, despite strong opposition to the decision.

However, the Senegalese Constitutional Court announced that it had invalidated the decision to postpone the presidential elections from February 25 to December 15.

The court indicated "the impossibility of organizing the presidential elections on the originally scheduled date" on February 25 due to the delay in the process, and called 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 held 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.

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.

Sall, who has been in power since 2012, justified the cancellation of the elections due to disagreements over the exclusion of potential candidates and fears related to the return of the unrest that the country witnessed in 2021 and 2023.

Source: French