Voting is underneath method in Senegal in a delayed presidential election that many hope will deliver change after a turbulent political interval that has triggered violent anti-government protests and boosted assist for the opposition.
Greater than seven million of the nation’s over 17 million individuals are registered to vote within the election, which has seen about 16,440 polling stations open on Sunday throughout the nation and within the diaspora.
Nineteen contenders are vying to switch President Macky Sall, stepping down after a second time period marred by unrest over the prosecution of opposition chief Ousmane Sonko and issues that Sall wished to increase his mandate previous the constitutional restrict.
The incumbent will not be on the poll for the primary time in Senegal’s historical past. His ruling coalition has picked former prime minister Amadou Ba, 62, as its candidate.
Sonko, Sall’s principal opponent, was not in a position to participate after he was convicted of defamation. Bassirou Diomaye Faye changed Sonko because the candidate for the PASTEF get together.
Apart from Ba and Faye, Dakar’s former Mayor Khalifa Sall, veteran politician Idrissa Seck, former Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, an in depth ally of President Sall Aly Ngouille Ndiaye and entrepreneur and political newcomer Anta Babacar Ngom — the only real lady among the many candidates — are all part of the presidential race.
To keep away from a run-off election, one candidate should safe greater than 50 % of the vote. Whereas official outcomes are anticipated subsequent week, in earlier elections candidates have introduced their predictions on the identical night because the vote.
Reporting from Dakar, Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque stated it was an “uncommon” election.
“There’s each anticipation such as you would have in any election; there is a component of worry and unknown as a result of that is the primary election within the final 12 years the place President Macky Sall will not be within the working … and there is a component of pleasure, particularly amongst these younger, first-time voters.
“That is an election like no different and it’s crucial, particularly for younger individuals.”
‘Voting for change’
Strains shaped exterior polling stations round Dakar on Sunday. Roads had been quiet because the nation’s elite police power was deployed throughout town in armoured automobiles, checking voters’ playing cards.
“I’m so completely happy to have the ability to train my proper to vote as a Senegalese citizen,” voter Thiaba Camara Sy, from the organisation Demain Senegal (Tomorrow Senegal), instructed Al Jazeera at a polling station in Dakar.
“That is one thing that now we have received as a result of the danger was excessive of the election being delayed till who is aware of when, so I’ve been queuing for 2 hours however I’m completely happy.”
Within the ocean-facing neighbourhood of Dakar’s Ngor, fisherman Alioune Samba, 66, stated he was voting for the change everybody desires.
“Meals, water, faculty; every little thing is dear with the low earnings now we have in Senegal,” the daddy of three instructed Reuters information company.
Khodia Ndiayes, a 52-year-old prepare dinner, instructed the Related Press information company she picked Faye on the poll as a result of she wished Sonko to win.
“I’m proud to have voted,” she stated. “We’d like a brand new president as a result of life is dear, the financial system is dangerous and we’d like higher faculties.”
Al Jazeera’s Haque stated it appeared that lots of people have come out to vote.
“It’s attention-grabbing who these individuals are: a variety of younger males but in addition girls, key on this election as a result of girls make up a considerable a part of the voters in Senegal,” he stated.
Faye versus Ba
Faye, who was endorsed by the extra common Sonko to switch him, was detained nearly a yr in the past on costs together with defamation and contempt of courtroom.
An amnesty regulation handed this month allowed his launch days earlier than the vote. He and his colleague Diomaye have campaigned collectively underneath the banner “Diomaye is Sonko”.
“The inhabitants is selecting between continuation and rupture,” Faye stated after casting his vote, urging contenders to just accept the consequence.
In the meantime, Ba stated that he was “very, very, very assured” of his possibilities of successful.
In these elections, “the 2 political camps stand on reverse sides of the political spectrum”, Mucahid Durmaz, a senior political threat analyst for West Africa at Verisk Maplecroft, instructed Al Jazeera.
He famous that whereas outgoing President Sall and his ruling coalition candidate Ba favour financial liberalisation insurance policies, opposition determine Sonko and his chosen candidate Faye plan to introduce a brand new forex and renegotiate contracts with oil and gasoline operators within the nation.
“The difficulty right here is that regardless of the financial growth that the nation has witnessed through the years underneath President Sall, it’s not likely facilitated a wider socioeconomic growth for the nation’s youthful inhabitants,” Durmaz stated.
Financial points
Unemployment is one other key difficulty within the election.
Frustration on the lack of job alternatives has spurred assist for Sonko and his backed candidate Faye, significantly among the many youth.
The share of younger Senegalese not in employment, training or coaching stood at 35 % in 2019, earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic additional squeezed the job market.
Apart from unemployment, the rising price of dwelling spurred by Russia’s battle in Ukraine and the appreciation of the USA greenback have undermined assist for present ruling Senegalese authorities.
The launch of oil and gasoline manufacturing later in 2024 has additionally raised questions on whether or not the pure useful resource wealth will profit the broader inhabitants and create jobs.
The Sonko-backed opposition coalition has promised to renegotiate power contracts to maximise revenues, whereas Ba is working on the slogan “Prosperity Shared”.
‘Calm’ voting course of
Whereas the elections come amid frustrations over a fragile financial system, in response to election observers, the voting course of has been comparatively peaceable.
Lots of of election observers from civil society, the African Union, the regional group the Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union had been on the bottom monitoring the equity of the vote.
“From the opening this morning, our observers – and it’s a partial piece of the image – now we have seen that there are fairly some queues in entrance of the workplaces, which exhibits that individuals are mobilised to go and use their proper to vote and specific their views for the way forward for Senegal,” Malin Bjork, from the EU election observer mission to Senegal, instructed Al Jazeera.
“Election workplaces are functioning nicely. It’s calm; there may be serenity within the course of, in response to our observations,” she added.
“I believe right this moment is a really nice day for us,” the Aar Sunu Election (Defend Our Election) group, led by Dr Abdoulaye Bousso, instructed Al Jazeera in Dakar.
When Sall introduced the cancellation of the election in February, there was an uproar from civil society within the nation, together with Bousso’s group.
“We fought to have this election day occur and we’re very proud to see the large mobilisation of the Senegalese individuals.
“For us, it’s the victory of the Senegalese democracy.”
