Presidential aspirants in Senegal inaugurated their election campaigns on Saturday, following weeks of tumultuous protests across the African nation subsequent to the postponement of the vote. The 19 endorsed candidates contending for the presidency now confront a condensed timeline to mobilize supporters prior to the March 24 election, anticipated to be the most fiercely contested race since Senegal achieved independence over six decades ago. Khalifa Sall, the former mayor of Dakar and a four-time candidate, orchestrated a procession through the streets of the capital to mark the commencement of his campaign.
Among the frontrunners are former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, the ruling party’s nominee, and incarcerated Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a relatively obscure candidate who rose to prominence as the leader of the dissolved PASTEF party. Despite being imprisoned for nearly a year, Diomaye Faye is slated for release in time for the elections following a presidential decree granting amnesty to political detainees. He has assumed the mantle for opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, also incarcerated and disqualified from candidacy. Sonko was convicted of corrupting youth in June and sentenced to a two-year prison term. Amadou Ba, the ruling party’s contender, is yet to launch his campaign. Anta Babacar Ngom, the sole female candidate and head of Sedima, one of the country’s largest food enterprises, also stands in the electoral fray.
The recent eruptions of violent protests have elicited concerns for a nation once regarded as a bastion of democratic stability in West Africa, a region beset by coups and instability. President Macky Sall, barred from reelection due to term limits, postponed the election last month, precipitating widespread unrest as opposition demonstrations inundated the streets. Senegal’s apex electoral body, the Constitutional Council, rebuffed Sall’s deferment and instructed the government to promptly designate a new date. Government spokesperson Abdou Karim Fofana proclaimed March 24 as the revised date earlier this week. The majority of the campaign and the election itself will unfold during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, reflecting Senegal’s predominantly Muslim populace.
