DAKAR, Senegal: Hundreds of people demonstrated in Dakar on Saturday, calling on the president to set a date of April 2, when his term ends, to choose his successor.
President Mackay Sall has faced controversy since he postponed a vote scheduled for February 25, sparking the West African nation’s worst political crisis.
Last week, the Constitutional Council called for the postponement to be canceled and the vote to be held “as soon as possible”. But president Sall appears in no hurry.
He postponed a decision on the date until Monday, when he will consult with political and social stakeholders. He said Thursday night that he hoped to reach an agreement by late Tuesday.
As a result, Senegalese citizens do not know when they can vote, leading to increased political calls for early elections.
In Saturday’s demonstration, hundreds of people responded to a call by the opposition group F24 to gather in a sandy square in a popular part of the capital.
“We want elections”, chanted protesters, draped in national flags. “Macky Sall dictator.”
In an apparent move to appease the public, Mr Sal said he would consider temporary release, amnesty or an amnesty law for opposition figures, including Mr Sonko and his fellow jailed deputy Bashir Diomai Fay.
Sal said his party, which has been in power since 2012, postponed the election due to controversy over the disqualification of potential candidates and concerns about a repeat of the unrest in 2021 and last year.
Most of the 20 presidential candidates and major civil society groups have announced that they will refrain from participating in the year’s planned negotiations.
Boubacar Camara, one of the 16 candidates, said on Friday: “We oppose all proposals for talks and demand that a date be set before April 2.”
Sal said that if no agreement is reached during the talks, it will be up to the Constitutional Council to decide on the next steps.
He emphasized that his mission will end on April 2 as planned.
But he left open the question of when the vote would take place, adding later that he did not believe it would be possible before April 2.
