President Macky Sall of Senegal has declared March 24, 2024, as the new date for the country’s presidential elections. This decision, reported comes after weeks of intense political unrest, with citizens demanding the expedited scheduling of the vote.
The announcement on Wednesday followed a cabinet meeting, which was convened in light of a ruling by Senegal’s highest court in February. The court had found President Sall’s proposal to delay the election until after his term ends on April 2 to be in violation of the constitution.
In a move that further heightened the day’s tensions, President Sall also dissolved his government, appointing Sidiki Kaba, the Interior Minister, to replace Prime Minister Amadou Ba. This change, as stated by the presidency, allows Mr. Ba, the candidate from the ruling coalition, to dedicate his efforts to his campaign for the presidential race.
The Council of Ministers has issued a statement acknowledging the election’s rescheduling, signaling a commitment to adhere to the new timeline.
The opposition has greeted the announcement with optimism, seeing it as a victory for their persistent demand for an earlier election date. Among the notable reactions was from opposition presidential candidate Anta Babacar, one of the 19 significant contenders, who expressed satisfaction with the new date. Speaking to Reuters, Babacar emphasized, “This is very good news. This is the reason why we were fighting for these past weeks and days because we knew that it was actually possible to hold these elections before April 2.”
The rescheduling marks a pivotal moment in Senegal’s political landscape, aiming to resolve the unrest and set the stage for the upcoming electoral process.
