DAKAR, Senegal – International concern is mounting over the political situation in Senegal after President Macky Sall postponed this month’s election due to a dispute over the eligibility of candidates.
The West African regional bloc Ecowas and the United States have both urged Senegal’s authorities to clarify when the postponed vote will take place, as no new date has been set. France and the European Union have also called for the election to be rescheduled as soon as possible.
The postponement has sparked pockets of demonstrations in the capital, Dakar, with police firing tear gas at protesters. The scenes in Dakar are causing worry about potential further unrest, with more protests planned for Monday.
Senegal has long been viewed as one of the most stable democracies in West Africa, but the uncertainty surrounding the election date and concerns about the fairness of the electoral race are undermining this image.
President Sall’s decision not to run for a third term had initially been welcomed, but the lack of an electoral timetable has raised concerns about the consequences of the postponement. The vote was originally scheduled to take place in three weeks’ time.
The uncertainty has also fueled protests in the past, with opposition groups accusing the government of bringing politically motivated cases against potential candidates. The exclusion of several prominent opposition figures from the election has further deepened the political divide in the country.