Senegal Postpones Election Until December

Facts

• Senegal’s presidential election has been pushed to Dec. 15 after the country’s parliament voted to delay it on Monday. The election was originally slated for Feb. 25, but on Saturday, Pres. Macky Sall announced a postponement that prompted violent protests.¹
• Sall’s bill initially sought to delay the election until Aug. 25, but it was later amended to Dec. 15, passing through the 165-seat Assembly with 105 votes. The Senegalese president — who has served his constitutional limit of two terms and isn't up for re-election — cited a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption within the Constitutional Council, which manages the candidate selection process.²
• Opposition leaders, however, say that Sall is trying to extend his rule — which was scheduled to end on April 2 — by engaging in a “constitutional coup.” On Monday, two opposition parties filed a court petition asking Senegal’s Constitutional Council to direct “the continuation of the electoral process,” but the result of the filing is uncertain.³
• Meanwhile, protesters flocked to the streets, chanting “Macky Sall is a dictator” outside parliament. As protests turned violent, riot police sprayed teargas to break up crowds, and authorities temporarily limited mobile internet access on Sunday night to combat alleged online hate messages and threats to public order.⁴
• Amid a region prone to political stability, Senegal has been regarded as one of West Africa’s stronger democracies since it gained independence from France in 1960. However, rising tensions over the last year have sparked worries about the outbreak of a potential coup.⁵

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²US News & World Report, ³NPR Online News, ⁴Guardian and ⁵Voice of America.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Le Monde.fr. Once considered an example of democracy in West Africa, Senegal is seeing an erosion of its democratic institutions as Pres. Sall postpones this year’s presidential election. In addition to his undemocratic decision to stay in power longer than his term allows him, Sall’s government has deployed riot police to teargas dissenters and has restricted internet access. Senegal must hold a free and fair election as scheduled, and Sall must leave when his term ends.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Africa Report.com. Pres. Sall put any speculation about running for a third term to bed months ago, and he made the difficult decision to move Senegal’s election in order to protect candidates who were unfairly removed from the candidate list. Sall has no desire to serve beyond his two terms and is only looking to strengthen Senegalese democracy for future generations. The president is committed to being transparent in everything he does, and his decision will allow voters to pick the candidate of their choice without bureaucratic meddling.