Senegal: President Macky Sall reaffirms that he will leave his “functions at the end of his mandate on April 2”

The Senegalese president reaffirmed on February 29, 2024 that he will leave on April 2, the end date of his mandate, in a message on X. The conclusions of a national dialogue organized Monday and Tuesday recommended that the presidential election, initially scheduled for February 25, will be held on June 2, two months after the official end of Macky Sall's mandate, and that the latter remains in office until the installation of his successor.

The date of my departure remains absolutely firm

,” he says.

Senegalese President Macky Sall (center) attending the national dialogue in Diamniadio on February 26, 2024. AFP - SEYLLOU

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With our correspondent in Dakar,

Théa Ollivier

In

Senegal

, the date of April 2, 2024 which marks the end of the mandate of President Macky Sall is approaching, and no new presidential election date has been decided after a postponement invalidated by the Constitutional Council of the election scheduled for February 25. .

While citizens are waiting, the head of state who assures that he does not want to stay in power has announced that he will receive the report with the proposals for ending the crisis from the national dialogue next Monday.

President Macky Sall is firm: he has repeated on his social networks that he will leave office at the end of his mandate on April 2.

A declaration at the end of the national dialogue held on February 26 and 27 which proposed June 2 as the new date for the presidential election.

But he also suggested that the head of state remain in office until the installation of his successor, under article 36 of the constitution.

The National Dialogue proposed June 2, 2024 as the new date for presidential elections in Senegal.

I thank the active forces for these meetings.

However, I would like to point out that I will leave office at the end of my mandate on April 2, as I have already indicated.…

— Macky Sall (@Macky_Sall) February 29, 2024

This political declaration by Macky Sall responds to accusations by part of the opposition and civil society who suspect him of wanting to stay in power when no new election date has yet been announced.

But this does not solve the problem after April 2, if no successor is elected by then, leaving the risk of a legal vacuum.

During the Council of Ministers on February 28, Macky Sall announced that he would ask the Constitutional Council for its opinion.

The ball is therefore once again in the court of the seven wise men for this unprecedented case which is neither a resignation nor a definitive impediment nor a death of the head of state.

In these cases, it is up to the President of the National Assembly to ensure the transition during the vacuum of power.

It is up to the Constitutional Council to decide who will act as interim president until the election of the next Senegalese president.

Read alsoPresidential election in Senegal: controversy around the new date

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