DAKAR: A day after President Macky Sall announced the indefinite delay of the presidential election, set for February 25, in Senegal, the police cracked down on rallies in the country’s capital, Dakar, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday. At least one prominent opposition figure was taken into custody as well.
The United States demanded a prompt replacement date for free polls on Sunday, while the European Union stated that the postponement creates a “period of uncertainty”, according to Al Jazeera.
Sall declared on Saturday, citing a disagreement over the candidate list, that he had revoked the applicable electoral law in a nationally televised speech. He claimed to have signed an order nullifying the November 2023 law that had established the first election date, but he did not specify a new one.
The Constitutional Council of Senegal removed a few well-known opposition members from the list of candidates last month. Following the invitation of several opposition candidates, hundreds of men and women of all ages went to the streets on Sunday.
Aminata Toure, a prominent opposition member and former prime minister, wrote on X that she was arrested on her way to a rally. Under Sall, she held the office of premier before defecting to the opposition and becoming one of his most vocal detractors, reported Al Jazeera.
Toure denounced Sall’s decision to reschedule the election, calling it an “unprecedented democratic regression” and urging citizens to organize in defence of their rights.
The country’s former colonial power, France, demanded a referendum “as soon as possible” and said Senegal needed to put an end to “uncertainty.” Given that West Africa has recently seen several coups, including those in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, Senegal has long been regarded as an exceptional example of democratic stability in the region. (ANI)