Senegal: the Supreme Court rejects the opposition's request and maintains the date of the presidential election
The Supreme Court of Senegal refused on Friday March 15 to call into question at the last minute the process for the presidential election of March 24, deeming “
inadmissible
” the request from the opposition of Karim Wade and his allies.
While Karim Wade's PDS party argued that the deadline announced for the vote was illegal because it was too short, Senegal's highest court ruled that the presidential decree calling for the vote respected the law.
Entrance to the Supreme Court of Senegal in Dakar.
RFI/Paulina Zidi
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The requests had been submitted by disqualified presidential candidates, including Karim Wade, and deputies from their camp.
A possible acceptance of these requests by the Supreme Court would have called the process into question.
But the Court declared the requests “
inadmissible
”, taking up the arguments of the Attorney General.
According to the court and the prosecutor, setting the date of the vote falls within the powers of the president.
Furthermore, the Constitutional Council had “
full jurisdiction in electoral matters
” and its decisions are not subject to any appeal and are binding on the Supreme Court.
The first had validated the date of March 24 for the presidential election after a very controversial postponement.
This decision is yet another setback for Karim Wade and
other failed candidates
who are contesting the date of the election, reports our correspondent in Dakar,
Juliette Dubois
: they are demanding the suspension of the president's decree which convenes the electoral body on March 24 and therefore the suspension of the election.
For these opponents, the decree convening the electoral body violates the electoral code, which provides for a period of 80 days to summon voters.
They believe that
the deadline for the campaign is also too short
, with the candidates only having 12 days instead of 21. They therefore did not have the necessary logistical and financial preparation.
If the election takes place under these conditions, the legitimacy of the future president will be contested, according to the applicants' lawyers.
The opponents behind the request want the process to start from scratch, with a new examination of the applications.
The leader of the PDS, Karim Wade, had been excluded from the presidential race due to
an imbroglio around his dual nationality
, since renounced, and the party had the hope of being able to have his candidacy reassessed since the outgoing president Macky Sall had announced a first postponement of the presidential election.
The day after the release of Ousmane Sonko and Diomaye Faye
This decision comes the day after the release of opponents Ousmane Sonko and his successor Bassirou Diomaye Faye, candidate from the camp of the former Pastef party.
In the Senegalese capital,
the party lasted until the early morning
, since Ousmane Sonko and his heir Bassirou Diomaye Faye left Cap Manuel prison late in the evening.
Many supporters gathered to accompany them home and celebrate in several neighborhoods of the capital, singing “
Sonko, we missed you
”.
The former leader of the Pastef party - now dissolved - Ousmane Sonko had been detained since August, facing seven charges, including "
calling for insurrection
".
Bassirou Diomaye Faye had been behind bars for almost a year and prosecuted for “
contempt of court
”.
They both benefited
from the amnesty law
proposed by President Macky Sall as a “
gesture of appeasement
”, and voted on in the National Assembly last week.
For the moment, Bassirou Diomaye Faye remains the candidate of the ex-Pastef: he will be able to join the campaign of his coalition which began in his absence.
A first speech by the two men is planned for later today.
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