By Ali Elias
The Senegalese President, Macky Sall, has made a U-turn on his earlier decision postponing the country’s Presidential election by nearly one year, saying that the election would be held “as soon as possible”
This reversal of earlier decision came after the constitutional court on Thursday, last week, ruled that the postponement of the election is a breach of the constitution. According to the constitutional body, the postponement “lacked a legal basis”
The President, following the declaration, has said that he would “fully implement” the ruling of the constitutional court, according to the Presidential Spokesperson, Yoro Dia.
In making the announcement, the Spokesman did not indicate the new date of the election, which is supposed to take place on February 25 this year. The statement further added that the President “will carry out without delay the consultations necessary for the organization of the presidential election as soon as possible”
Earlier in the month, Sall had in a nationwide broadcast, told his country people of his intention to delay the Presidential election indefinitely. This drew the ire of his country men and women who took to the street in protest. These developments challenge, both internally and outside the country, the long standing perception of Senegal as one of stable democracy in West Africa.
The president had the backing of the legislators in parliament setting the new date as December 15, this year; but the constitutional court saw this as a substantial change in the constitutional provision, declaring that should the decision of the parliament and the President be allowed to stand, holding the election on February 25 would no longer be tenable. It would no longer be possible for elections to be held Feb. The court therefore declared that the election should be held “as soon as possible.”
But the question remains, how soon is “as soon as possible”?
Going by this declaration, the constitutional court may have unwittingly acquiesced to the President’s earlier intention. “As soon as possible” without a definite date gives the President the legal backing to call for election anytime before December 15 which he had earlier fixed. One would have expected the noble court to fix the latest date for the election to be conducted. It would then be left for the President to figure out how to meet the deadline. Short of that any unnecessary delay could throw the country into another round of protest.
As reported by New York Times, “Sall’s initial decision to put off the election had thrown Senegal into a period of uncertainty, with protests breaking out in cities across the country, and prompted international appeals for the vote to proceed without delay. Three people were killed by security forces during protests in recent weeks, including a 16-year-old boy, and hundreds arrested, according to Amnesty International”
Sall is perhaps taking a cue from some of his other democratic nation in West Africa, like Nigeria, where the incumbent or outgoing President has his eyes set on a favourite candidate he wants to succeed him, by crook and never always through fairness or merit.
Sall has served two terms. He said his action was borne out of the confusion on who is qualified to contest. But this was seen as a trumped excuse to hold on to power.
To pave the way for the Prime Minister, Amadou Ba, whom he is supporting to succeed him, he had clamped other strong opposition candidates, Ousmane Sonko, and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, into detention, over what critics say is politically motivated.
What Sall may do next is not predictable but his next action, has implications for Senegal, and may further put a dent on democracy in West Africa.