Highlights: Presidential election in Senegal: before the start of the campaign, gray areas remain. One of the big questions in the presidential campaign is the possibility of regrouping during Ramadan. The situation of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, candidate of the dissolved Pastef party, is the other big unknown of the moment. The candidates were all summoned on Friday March 8 to RTS, the public television channel, to each record their three-minute campaign clip. These videos will be broadcast from Sunday March 10.

After more than a month of uncertainty in Senegal and uncertainties since the postponement of the presidential election by President Macky Sall, the date of the vote is set for March 24. But while the election campaign...

Presidential election in Senegal: before the start of the campaign, gray areas remain

After more than a month of uncertainty in Senegal and uncertainties since the postponement of the presidential election by President Macky Sall, the date of the vote is set for March 24.

But while the electoral campaign begins on Saturday March 9 at 11:59 p.m., several gray areas remain, particularly on the question of how to campaign during Ramadan.

One of the big questions in the presidential campaign is the possibility of regrouping during Ramadan and the situation of one of the most important opposition candidates, still imprisoned.

Here, supporters of one of the opposition candidates for the presidency of Senegal during a demonstration in Dakar, February 24, 2024. © John Wessels / AFP

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in Dakar,

Léa-Lisa Westerhoff

Saturday evening

officially begins an extremely short campaign

: twelve days instead of the 21 provided for by electoral law.

The 19 candidates have therefore all been in battle order since Thursday March 7 to reorganize their campaign and adjust.

All the more difficult, because Ramadan must begin Monday March 11: impossible in this context to plan large campaign meetings with music and food.

The gatherings will therefore rather take place at the end of the day, from the breaking of the fast, explained a candidate.

Senegal is facing an unprecedented situation, reflecting the crisis that the country has been going through since the postponement of the presidential election initially scheduled for February 25.

The candidates were all summoned on Friday March 8 to RTS, the public television channel, to each record their three-minute campaign clip.

These videos will be broadcast from Sunday March 10.

Another unprecedented fact is that one of the presidential candidates is still in prison when the electoral campaign begins.

Because the situation of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, candidate of the dissolved Pastef party, is the other big unknown of the moment: will he be released to campaign?

Will he be able to record a campaign video like the other presidential contenders?

In pre-trial detention for almost a year, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was arrested for contempt of court after a publication on Facebook.

But this replacement candidate for Ousmane Sonko, also in prison but excluded from the presidential race, could benefit

from the amnesty law passed last Wednesday

in the National Assembly.

For the moment,

no indication

has been given on when this release could take place.

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Presidential election in Senegal

Presidential election in Senegal: before the start of the campaign, gray areas remain

Presidential election in Senegal: before the start of the campaign, gray areas remain

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