Senegal Sets March 24 Presidential Election Date After Delay

The Senegalese government has officially announced March 24 as the new date for the country’s much-anticipated presidential election, following political unrest and opposition protests.

This update was revealed in a communique on Wednesday after a crucial meeting of the Council of Ministers, marking a significant development in the nation’s electoral timeline.

The decision comes after President Macky Sall, who is at the end of his second term and facing constitutional term limits, unexpectedly postponed the election for 10 months in early February.

This postponement, which shifted the election from its original date of February 25, ignited widespread chaos and led to opposition-led protests across the streets of Senegal.

The move to delay the election plunged the country into uncertainty, raising concerns over the state of democracy and governance in Senegal.

However, the intervention of the country’s highest election authority, the Constitutional Council, has been a turning point.

The Council rejected President Sall’s decision to postpone the election and mandated the government to promptly set a new date for the electoral process.

On Wednesday, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers, government spokesperson, Abdou Karim Fofana, in the communique, said, “The President of the Republic informed the Council of Ministers of the setting of the date of the presidential election for Sunday March 24, 2024.

“The President of the Republic also informed the Prime Minister and ministers of the formation of a new Government.”