in Dakar, despite the vagueness around a second round of the presidential election, the “rediscovered confidence” of voters

After three years of crisis, the Senegalese are still waiting to know who, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, anti-system opponent, or Amadou Ba, candidate of the outgoing government, won.

After three years of agitation and crisis, the Senegalese are still waiting on Monday March 25 to know the outcome of the vote. The anti-system opponent Bassirou Diomaye Faye, still in prison ten days ago, seems to have taken the lead in the presidential election in Senegal, but the power camp has assured that there will be a second round. If, politically, things are still unclear, in the polling stations, we are delighted with another victory: respect for democracy.

Like here, in Keur Massar, in the large suburbs of Dakar: the ballot box was unsealed a few minutes after the polling station closed. By the light of an electric lamp, the ballots were taken out of their envelopes under the gaze of five candidate representatives, a member of the Autonomous National Electoral Commission, Cena, and an observer from civil society. Everyone kept together the count of the votes obtained for each candidate. “This is what the people have been fighting for for a long time: this is a historic moment, assures Abdou Bakry Mbaye, the president of the polling station. Everyone voted to express their vision, their opinion. It’s the only way to say what you think. Fortunately, the Senegalese came out en masse and voted“.

“It restores confidence”

Pape Maguette Diop is the representative of the candidate El Hadj Mamadou Diao. This is the first time he has sat in a polling station: “All things went normally. Unless some voters who want to vote and who don’t see their names here… But apart from that, there is order, everything is normal. Frankly, it’s good, it restores confidence in the electoral process“.

In the center of the Senegalese capital, the atmosphere is much more excited: dozens of supporters of Bassirou Diomaye Faye met at campaign headquarters to party. For Samba Coly, an early activist for the candidate, “it’s already folded” : “I don’t even have the words! I’m very happy because now, I think it’s folded. It’s good, we won, we won! Long live change! Long live youth! They wanted to throw the country into chaos. We said no. We’re going to elections and we’re going to win them in a democratic way.”he rejoices.

Each side claims victory

And this campaign headquarters quickly became too small on Sunday evening, stormed by an excited crowd. “I, as company director, asked my employees not to come to work tomorrow. We’re going to party until Wednesday“, says Mariam.

“I’m so proud. Personally, I fought for years for this day to come.”

In the opposing camp, at the headquarters of the candidate of the ruling coalition, Amadou Ba, the atmosphere was much less cheerful. For Cheikh Brahim Bey, a political leader, nothing is decided: “They are manipulators. If they have results, and they have won, they just have to get them out there! We are in front of them. What is certain is that Amadou Ba will be declared president of Senegal. We are confident, it’s simple!”

Official results should not be known until later this week. The national electoral commission has until Friday to publish provisional results. Four candidates have already congratulated Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his victory in the first round.