Presidential elections in Senegal: end of express election campaign, voting time this Sunday

Senegal’s presidential candidates drew crowds of supporters Friday for their final meetings before Sunday’s vote, marking the end of a high-profile but peaceful campaign compared with months of tension that preceded the unprecedented election.

Two candidates stand out

In particular, Amadou Ba and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, seen as the two main contenders in what may be the most open election in independent Senegal’s history, made one last show of force before campaigning ended at midnight on Friday.

“I am committed to being president of the Republic of all Senegalese” and “to fight hyper-presidentialism,” Bassirou Diomaye Faye told thousands of supporters gathered at the Mbour stadium.

He also said he was “ready” to “continue our partnership with our international partners on a mutually beneficial basis” and to “strengthen relations with our sister countries in the Sahel and work towards their return to ECOWAS,” the economy of the West African Community. States.

The 43-year-old anti-system candidate, whose victory would mark an opportunity to question the established model, received a last-minute boost thanks to an appeal launched on his behalf by Karim Wade, the disqualified candidate of Senegal’s historic Democratic Party. .

In front of hundreds of supporters gathered at the Place de la Nation in Dakar, Amadou Ba, for his part, declared that he wanted to become “president of the Republic of Youth.” “We will create at least one million jobs,” he said.

Hesitant voice

More than seven million Senegalese will gather on Sunday to elect their fifth president in a vote that is completely indecisive and in many ways exceptional. Macky Sall, the outgoing president who served as president for 12 years and was virtually re-elected in 2019, is not running for re-election.

Senegalese were originally scheduled to vote on February 25, but a last-minute postponement caused riots and weeks of confusion, testing Senegal’s democratic practices.

The campaign was shortened from three to two weeks. Eighteen men and one woman, two of whom had announced their withdrawal from the race in favor of Bassirou Diomaie Faye, spent long days in crowds under the sun, without drinking or eating due to the postponement of the election and its holding in the middle of the Muslim fasting month.

Likely second round

Amadou Ba and Bassiro Diomaie Faye are considered favorites, even if the publication of poll results is prohibited. A second round, the date of which has not yet been determined, seems likely. Preliminary results may be known as early as Sunday evening.

“We know that these are the two that will come out (of the polls) if there is no tsunami,” said El Hadji Mamadou Mbaye, a professor and researcher at the University of Saint-Louis. “The question is who will be third and how they position themselves,” he said.

He mentions the names of former mayor of Dakar Khalifa Sall and Aliou Mamadou Dia, leader of the Unity and Rally Party. The expert draws attention to the splits in the opposition in the event of a second round against the government candidate.

“Earthquake” if Faye wins

The victory of Bassirou Diomaie Faye will mean a political “earthquake” with the arrival of a new generation and “the arrival of an actor who does not come from the system,” the expert points out, although he occupied the highest public service.

Elections abroad are watched more closely than in other developing countries. Senegal, with a population of 18 million, is one of West Africa’s most stable countries, rocked by coups. He maintained strong relations with the West.

However, since 2021, Senegal has experienced various episodes of unrest. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds arrested, damaging the country’s image, which the government says is unfair.

Will to reconcile

Ousmane Sonko, the opposition leader and participant in a long confrontation with the authorities, was disqualified from the presidential elections. Released a week ago, he has placed himself at the service of his second Bassir Diomaia Fay, whom his camp presents as a “candidate for system change,” restored sovereignty and “left-wing Pan-Africanism.”

Opposite him, 62-year-old Amadou Ba stands as a bulwark against the “adventurers.” He promises to continue the momentum he says has been set by President Sall and his ambitious development program. He must also take responsibility for his past: persistent poverty, high unemployment, large debts and hundreds of arrests.

The desire for peace “will play a big role. We are coming out of a very tense period. All the candidates present themselves as those who will reconcile the Senegalese,” says Sidi Diop, deputy editorial director of the daily Le Soleil.

The release of political opponents and hundreds of other detainees, as well as an amnesty law, ensured that the campaign passed without significant incident. It was also not very programmatic, according to teacher-researcher Mbaye. “People don’t vote for programs; This election is a meeting between the individual and the people.”