civil society observers mobilize to monitor the vote

Behind a row of computers, in a large room equipped with a giant screen where statistics scroll, members of the monitoring and analysis team are responsible for checking that the vote went smoothly. They are in permanent contact with the 1,300 observers spread across the territory, who report malfunctions so that they can be corrected in collaboration with the authorities. The first round of the presidential election in Senegal takes place on Sunday March 24, in a sensitive context after the unrest in February.

Cheikh Tidiane Cissé is the coordinator of the Senegalese collective of civil society organizations for the elections. “With the ballot boxes open, we have an observation methodology that allows us to supervise and observe the voting of the office, the participation rate and the closing of the polls. We want to appreciate and evaluate the quality and transparency of the electoral process” , he assures.

The issue is participation

This presidential election is being held a month after the date of February 25 initially planned, due to a postponement initiated by President Macky Sall and which had created an unprecedented political crisis. The electoral campaign had to be shortened by ten days. Babacar Gueye, president of the civil society collective, is nevertheless confident. “There was this postponement, it’s true. A party for the electoral campaign is not respected. We are organizing this election in conditions which are not the besthe admits. But the issue of this election is the participation rate. We absolutely must have an appreciable participation rate to compensate for all the past dysfunctions.”

In total, more than 2,400 national and international observers are accredited to monitor the vote. “These observers play an important role in the electoral processinsists Birame Sène, from the general directorate of elections. This observation makes it possible to legitimize an election but also to participate in the transparency of the electoral process. The role of civil society is therefore essential, while fears of post-election protests have been raised in the event of close results between the different candidates.