For two weeks, this West African country has been experiencing an unprecedented political crisis. “It is imperative to elect a president” before April 2, according to Mamadou Lamine Diallo, one of the 20 candidates vying for the presidential race.
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The situation is still unclear regarding the holding of the presidential election which was initially scheduled for February 25 in Senegal. After the decision of the Constitutional Council which invalidated the postponement of the vote, President Macky Sall simply said, in a brief press release, that he “will without delay carry out the necessary consultations for the organization of the presidential election as soon as possible.”
The whole question is knowing when voters will be able to vote. In its decision, the Constitutional Council recalls that the mandate of the President of the Republic cannot be extended and that it ends on April 2.
“It is imperative to elect a president before this date”, underlines Mamadou Lamine Diallo, one of the 20 candidates vying for the presidential race. However, it is impossible to meet these deadlines according to the secretary general of the government, Seydou Gueye, who evokes a consensual date to be found through dialogue.
Society calls for demonstrations
Since Friday February 16, the President of the Republic began to meet or approach some of the candidates. Khalifa Sall, one of the favorites of this election, calls for discussions with all the actors including the Head of State to find a way out of the crisis which respects the electoral calendar but other members of the opposition are more reluctant.
In the meantime, civil society wants to maintain pressure and is calling for demonstrations in the coming days. A silent march of opponents, planned for Saturday February 17 in Dakar, was authorized, unlike all those in recent weeks.
