The Senegalese are traveling in large numbers on Sunday to elect their fifth president in a vote with a completely unpredictable outcome after three years of agitation and political crisis.
“We finally got there. Alhamdoulila [Dieu soit loué]. Recent times have not been easy for Senegal. But all that is behind us,” says Mita Diop, a 51-year-old trader, in front of a polling station in Dakar.
Like the other voters, she chose from the 19 available ballots (including those of two candidates who withdrew) and, after the voting booth, slipped her vote into the ballot box, then dipped a finger in the red ink , a rule imposed to prevent voters from voting twice.
Dozens of voters lined up peacefully in front of different offices, AFP journalists noted. A number of voters who had woken up for the morning prayer of the month of fasting before daybreak then went straight to the polls. But an exact assessment of participation (66% in 2019) was difficult.
The leader of the anti-system opposition, Ousmane Sonko, who voted in his stronghold of Ziguinchor (south), spoke of record mobilization, particularly of young people on whom his camp bases its hopes.
Young people “came massively to the polling stations from 6 a.m.,” he said. “We are convinced that at the end of this day the victory will be resounding” for his second, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, candidate to replace him due to his disqualification.
The offices are open until 6 p.m. local time (2 p.m. in Quebec). First unofficial provisional results could be published overnight.
” Caution “
The outgoing president, Macky Sall, who voted with his wife in Fatick (central-west), warned against premature claims of victory.
“It is neither up to a candidate nor a camp to proclaim a victory or results,” he said.
Some 7.3 million voters are asked to choose between the government candidate Amadou Ba and 16 competitors, including Bassirou Diomaye Faye and a woman.
Amadou Ba, 62 years old, heir and prime minister until a few weeks ago of President Sall, and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, 43 years old, the “candidate for system change” and “left-wing pan-Africanism”, are given as favorites a competition which will decide between continuity and perhaps radical change.
They both claim to be able to win on Sunday without going through a second round, which seems likely, but the date of which has not been set. The former mayor of Dakar Khalifa Sall, 68, is cited as an outsider.
The election is being followed closely, Senegal being considered one of the most stable countries in a West Africa shaken by putsch. Dakar maintains strong relations with the West, while Russia strengthens its surrounding positions.
Civil society, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union are deploying hundreds of observers.
The Senegalese were initially scheduled to vote on February 25. Ballot boxes and Sunday bulletins always display this date.
The postponement of the vote sparked violence which left four people dead. Several weeks of confusion tested Senegal’s democratic practice, until the date of March 24 was decided. The campaign was reduced to two weeks, in the middle of the Muslim fasting month.
This is the first time that an outgoing president has not run for re-election.
“Win-win”
Amadou Ba presents himself as a continuation of his action and as a bulwark against “adventurers” and “amateurs”.
However, he must assume the legacy of President Sall, persistent poverty, high unemployment, heavy debt, the departure by canoe of thousands of people each year for Europe, and the hundreds of arrests in recent times.
Since 2021, the country has experienced episodes of unrest caused by the standoff between Ousmane Sonko, guide of candidate Diomaye Faye, combined with social tensions and the vagueness long maintained by President Sall over his candidacy for a third term. The crisis continued with the postponement of the presidential election.
Dozens of people were killed and hundreds arrested, damaging the country’s image, unfairly according to the government.
Possible tensions
MM. Sonko and Faye, detained for months, were released on March 14 after the campaign opened.
They attack Mr. Ba as the perpetuator of President Sall’s governance and as a “billionaire civil servant”. Coming like Mr. Ba from the senior tax administration, Mr. Faye questions the origin of his former colleague’s fortune.