Senegal will hold delayed presidential elections on March 24

Senegal has announced that its presidential election, initially postponed due to political unrest and protests demanding an immediate vote, will now take place on March 24. The decision, made after a cabinet meeting on Thursday, follows a February ruling by the country’s top court, deeming outgoing President Macky Sall’s plan to hold the vote after his term expires on April 2 as unconstitutional.

Senegal has a new Prime Minister

In conjunction with this announcement, President Sall dissolved the government and appointed Interior Minister Sidiki Kaba as the new Prime Minister, aiming to allow the ruling coalition’s presidential candidate, Amadou Ba, to concentrate on his electoral campaign. These developments add to the complex situation in Senegal, where the initial decision to postpone the elections, citing electoral process errors, sparked violent protests and raised concerns from international allies about the stability of Senegal’s democracy in the West African region, historically known for its political stability.

In response to the crisis, the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held an emergency meeting to address the widespread violence and tensions in Senegal. The Constitutional Council’s February ruling deemed the proposal from a national dialogue commission, suggesting a June 2 election date, inconsistent with the constitution.

The Council’s decision to challenge the president is viewed as a testament to Senegalese democracy. The newly announced election date brings relief to many Senegalese citizens eager to participate in shaping their country’s future.

Sall justified the delay in the elections

President Sall had justified the delay, citing concerns about electoral disputes, though opposition parties characterized it as an attempted institutional coup. Anta Babacar, an opposition presidential candidate, welcomed the announcement, underlining that the initial postponement raised questions about the alleged institutional crisis, which now appears unfounded. Babacar expressed the view that Senegal is not currently facing any form of crisis.

The Parliament had also approved an amnesty

The Senegalese Parliament also approved an amnesty law proposed by Sall in an effort to ease tensions amid a tense standoff with the opposition. The law aims to pardon hundreds of protesters and opposition members accused of crimes related to antigovernment protests over the past three years.

While the law intends to provide amnesty, critics, including opposition members and rights groups, express concerns that it could also grant impunity to security forces for their alleged excessive and sometimes fatal use of force against protesters in recent months, resulting in dozens of casualties. Human Rights Watch (HRW) cautioned that the draft law “opens the door to impunity for serious crimes,” highlighting the lack of accountability for at least 40 deaths during violent clashes since March 2021.

Opposition and civil society groups report the arrest of up to 1,000 opposition members, including party leaders, presidential candidates, journalists, and activists, between March 2021 and January 2023. Among them is prominent opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. The political unrest stems from concerns that Sall aims to silence opponents and extend his stay in power beyond the end of his mandate, allegations he denies.

Critics view the amnesty law as a denial of the right to truth, justice, and transparency. Diallo expressed scepticism about the law being introduced in Senegal after three years of claims that investigations were ongoing, addressing the killing of over 60 people and the detention of a thousand individuals. The announcement of the plan to postpone elections in February triggered a new wave of protests.