civil society groups call for “massive mobilization” against the postponement of the presidential election

“A large demonstration is planned for Tuesday,” said one of the platform coordinators during a press conference.

A collective of civil society groups called, Thursday, February 8, on the Senegalese to “mobilize massively” against the postponement of the presidential election which was to take place at the end of the month. At a press conference in Dakar, they discussed a series of upcoming actions, including a demonstration and a strike.

“We invite all citizens concerned by the preservation of democratic achievements to mobilize massively, throughout the country and in the diaspora, to prevent this confiscation of power”encourages, in a declaration, the new Aar Sunu Election platform (“Let’s protect our election”), which calls for around forty unions and citizen and religious groups.

A general strike announced

“A large demonstration is planned for Tuesday”, underlined Malick Diop, who presents himself as one of the coordinators of the platform. The speakers mentioned, in front of the press, a call for a general strike on an unspecified date, and a walkout from Friday in the education sector. In its written statement, the platform calls on Muslim faithful to go to the Great Friday prayer dressed in white and displaying the national colors.

The Senegalese Parliament approved, on Monday, the postponement to December 15 of the presidential election scheduled for the end of February. The bill shifting the vote was passed almost unanimously, after the exclusion of opposition deputies who were taken out of the chamber by the gendarmerie.

This is the first time since 1963 that a presidential election by direct universal suffrage has been postponed in Senegal. The mandate of the head of state, Macky Sall, who cannot run again, was extended until the inauguration of his successor.