Senegal President Macky Sall refutes blame for election chaos
The president of Senegal has informed the BBC that he stands by his decision to postpone this year’s elections, despite the ensuing violent demonstrations.
Macky Sall clarified that the decision to postpone the elections was not solely his own; rather, it was made in response to concerns raised by parliamentarians.
Following a violent backlash, concerns arose that the usually stable nation was descending into a political crisis.
However, Senegal’s top court intervened and blocked the attempt to delay the election by 10 months.
As a result, the vote is now scheduled to take place on Sunday, one month later than originally planned.
“I have no apology to make, I have done nothing wrong,” President Sall told the BBC.
“All the actions that have been taken have been within the framework of the law and regulations.”
Three weeks prior to the scheduled February 25 election, Mr. Sall declared its postponement, a decision subsequently ratified by parliament.
Critics leveled accusations against Mr. Sall, alleging an attempt to prolong his tenure, claims which the president refuted. He contended that the postponement was necessary to address disputes regarding the eligibility of presidential candidates.
Mr. Sall attributes the genesis of these concerns to opposition politicians.
“If it had not been for the National Assembly which passed the law, which referred it to me, there would not have been the postponement of the election,” he said.
The announcement made by Mr. Sall ignited violent confrontations between law enforcement and demonstrators, resulting in the loss of three lives.
Concerns arose that Senegal’s standing as a beacon of democracy in a volatile region was in jeopardy.
Senegal has witnessed three peaceful transitions of power since gaining independence and stands as the sole nation in mainland West Africa to have avoided a coup.
Mr Sall told the BBC that the recent unrest “shows that there was an information campaign targeting Senegal and its president”, as there is “just one month” between the original election date and when the vote will now take place.
“In the progress of states, there comes times where there are crises and it is these crises which strengthen democracy and I think that this crisis has shown that we have solid institutions and, more than ever, our democracy is set in stone,” he said.
Due to a conviction related to inappropriate conduct with a minor, he was disqualified from running, prompting Mr. Faye to step in as his replacement.
President Sall refuted assertions that the charges against his adversaries were politically motivated.
Adhering to Senegal’s constitutional limit of two terms, he has completed his tenure in office and reiterated his commitment not to overstay in power during his BBC interview.
“If the next president is not elected on the 24th [March], I’m leaving on 2 April regardless. That is the deadline, and I don’t intend to stay on another day,” he said.
If no candidate gains more than 50% of the vote, there will be a second round.