Diomay Faye's supporters celebrate after he advanced according to preliminary results (Anatolia Agency)

A number of opposition candidates in the presidential elections in Senegal announced the victory of their competitor, Basserou Diomaye Faye, after preliminary results showed his lead, prompting opposition supporters to take to the streets to celebrate early.

The elections were held in a calm atmosphere and millions of voters participated in choosing the fifth president of Senegal after 3 years of unprecedented political turmoil that sparked violent anti-government protests and strengthened support for the opposition.

The elections may represent a possible end to a regime that brought pro-investment policies in a country that will become the newest oil and gas producer on the African continent, but failed to reduce economic difficulties and sparked unrest in one of the most stable democracies in the West African region, which has witnessed many coups.

Fay supporters celebrate victory before the final results are out (French)

Quiet election day

Voters had 19 candidates competing to succeed President Macky Sall, who is leaving office after a second term marred by violent unrest, due to the trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and fears that he wants to extend his term beyond the constitutional limit.

For the first time in Senegal's history, a sitting president does not participate in the elections, and the ruling coalition chose former Prime Minister Amadou Ba (62 years old) as its candidate.

About 7.3 million voters are entitled to cast their ballots out of Senegal's population of about 18 million people.

Election Day went on peacefully, as no major incidents were reported, and polling stations closed their doors at 6 p.m. GMT, after which they began publishing their results.

The first set of statistics announced on television showed Faye winning a majority of votes, prompting his supporters to take to the streets in widespread celebrations among opposition supporters in the capital, Dakar.

At least 4 opposition candidates announced Faye's victory and effectively conceded defeat to him. Among them was Anta Babacar Angum, the entrepreneur-turned-politician, who - in a statement - wished Faye success if he became president of Senegal.

It is not yet clear how many polling stations have not completed vote counting.

Senegal's elections were held in a calm atmosphere despite the political turmoil that preceded them (Reuters)

Interim results

The final provisional results are expected to appear by tomorrow, Tuesday, and another round of voting will be held if no candidate obtains the majority required to prevent a runoff, which exceeds 50% of the number of votes.

Sonko - who was excluded from the race due to a defamation conviction and was in prison until recently - supports former tax inspector Faye, 43, co-founder of the dissolved Pastef party. Faye was imprisoned almost a year ago on charges including defamation and contempt of court, and supports some prominent politicians and members of the opposition. Opposition to Fay's nomination.

Fay presented himself as an “option for a break” with the regime, and said after casting his vote in his village in the west of the country, “The people choose between connection and severance,” and he urged the contenders to accept the winner.

On the other hand, the ruling camp's candidate, Amadou Ba, confirmed that he would stand in the way of "adventurers" and "amateurs" in politics, and said while casting his vote with his wife in Dakar, "We will move forward on the path of improvement."

Macky Sall - who was elected for the first time in 2012 - is leaving the position after support for him declined after he sought to postpone the elections to December 2024, which were initially scheduled for February 25.

The move fueled unrest and fears of dictatorial dominance in the country, prompting the Constitutional Council to rule that a vote be held and not extend Sall's term beyond next April 2.

Source: Agencies