Just three weeks before elections in Senegal, President Macky Sall postponed the vote indefinitely. In announcing the postponement of the presidential elections, which were actually scheduled to last February 23, Sall referred to the investigations that had begun into allegations of corruption in preparing lists of candidates.
No new date was given. Sall said that a phase of “national dialogue” would be launched to ensure “free, transparent and inclusive elections.”
The Constitutional Council had excluded several candidates for legal reasons, including popular opposition candidates such as Ousmane Sonko and Karim Wade. Their exclusion exacerbated internal political tensions in Senegal. The country, with a population of 17 million, was previously considered a stable democracy in the West African region, where it has witnessed frequent coups and unrest recently.
At the beginning of June, the worst unrest in decades broke out in Senegal after opposition leader Sonko was sentenced to prison. The opposition accused the head of state of wanting to eliminate his rival and remain in power. At least 16 people were killed. The army was deployed. Since then, all opposition demonstrations in the capital have been banned.
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