Senegal: The other election in West Africa
Some 50 countries around the globe will be headed to the polls this year, including a handful of African nations.
In West Africa, the focus at the moment is on Nigeria, which was supposed to have already held its vote. The vote was postponed in the most dramatic fashion, and Nigerians have to wait until this coming Saturday to make their choice known.
A few countries over, Senegal is also set to hold its election.
This election has barely registered a blip, maybe because the nation is often hailed as an example of democracy.
There are five candidates for this election, slated for the 24th of February. The incumbent, President Macky Sall, is seeking a final term. Four other candidates hope to unseat him- Idrissa Seck, Ousmane Sonko, Issa Sall, and Madicke Niang.
These five candidates were approved from a list of 85 potential candidates, so it seems a fairly recent electoral law did its job. This law, passed in April 2018, despite a walkout by the opposition, requires presidential candidates to gather at least 52,000 signatures from voters to support their bid. The law led to protests but it remains in force.
The list of presidential candidates is however missing two prominent people. These are Khalifa Sall (no relation) and Karim Wade.
Both had the signatures to support their candidature, but have been barred since they have been convicted.
Khalifa Sall, the former mayor of Dakar, is currently serving a 5-year jail term for embezzlement of $3.4 million. He’s been running his campaign from jail.
Karim Wade is the son of former president Abdoulaye Wade, Pres. Sall’s predecessor. He was handed a six-year jail term for corruption in 2015 but pardoned shortly after.
Worth noting is that the main opposition party, led by Abdoulaye Wade, is boycotting the elections. The government has dismissed the security concerns expressed as justification for the boycott by the party.
who are the five candidates?
Ousmane Sonko is the youngest of the lot, at 44 years. Before his plunge into politics, he was a tax inspector. He’s been hailed as a whistleblower, and sacked for it. He’s published a book and written letters concerning corruption in the nation’s oil industry.
At 65, Madicke Niang is the oldest candidate in the race. He was an insider in the Wade government, and served as foreign minister. His also served as a lawyer for former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre.
Idrissa Seck, 59, has also served in the previous administration, rising to Prime Minister. He’s unsuccessfully contested the presidency twice. Because of their previous roles in government, Niang and Seck are though to present the closest challenge to the incumbent.
Issa Sall is a 63-year-old I.T. professional who’s dabbled in politics since the 90s. Presently however, his party has only three seats in the national assembly.
President Macky Sall is vying for a shorter final term; a 2016 referendum reduced the term from 7 years to 5.
The 57-year-old is the favorite to win the election.
By Matengo Chwanya
Africa Global News Publication
