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Senegal presidential candidate Khalifa Sall announces opposition to postponement of elections – JURIST

Senegal presidential candidate Khalifa Sall said Saturday that he was opposed to postponing the country’s presidential elections. This stance comes in direct response to Senegal President Macky Sall’s announcement of the decision to postpone the elections, which were originally scheduled for February 25, 2024. The postponement was attributed to alleged corruption in the final approval process of the 20 candidates selected to run for the presidency of Senegal.In a televised address to the nation on Saturday, Macky Sall attributed his decision to the conflict that has arisen between the Senegalese parliament and the Constitutional Council. This came after the majority of deputies approved an investigation against two judges of the Constitutional Council for alleged irregularities in the approval of presidential candidacies. Specifically, it was discovered that one of the candidates approved by the Council, Rose Wardini, held dual French-Senegalese citizenship in violation of the Senegalese Constitution, which requires that candidates be exclusively Senegalese to run for office. In light of these unfolding events, Macky Sall expressed his concern, stating, “The current tumultuous circumstances have the potential to significantly erode the credibility of the electoral process, giving rise to both pre-and post-electoral disputes.” Additionally, he committed to launching a comprehensive national dialogue aimed at establishing an environment conducive to free, transparent, and inclusive elections.The delay has provoked reactions from the candidates approved by the Constitutional Council, who were originally scheduled to launch their campaigns Monday, and has caused considerable unease in the Senegalese political landscape. Amid this situation, Khalifa Sall, a presidential candidate and leader of Taxawu Sénégal, strongly opposed the postponement of the presidential election. In this regard, Khalifa Sall stated that Macky Sall’s “unilateral decision to abruptly suspend the electoral process without any legal basis” amounted to what he called a “constitutional coup.” According to Khalifa Sall, “Since taking office, Mr. Macky Sall has armed himself with a battering ram to dismantle the walls of our democracy and realize his vision of perpetuating himself in power.” In the same vein, Khalifa Sall also took the opportunity to stress the urgent need to “restore the Republic and unite efforts to put an end to the numerous cases of abuse of power and return the nation to the democratic path that it must never abandon.”In addition, the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), a mutual defense pact between Mali, Niger, and Burkina, said on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the presidential elections destroys the cherished promise of democratic change for the Senegalese people. The ASS expressed concern that Macky Sall’s “excessive ambition to remain in power” is dangerously moving him closer to the “authoritarian excesses against which Africa has fought so hard.” The ASS concluded its statement by noting that it awaits the reaction of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the possible sanctions it may impose in response to this situation.