The peculiar situation has caused widespread demonstrations in a traditionally stable country, which have also turned violent. The Constitutional Council ordered the elections to be held as soon as possible.
The sitting president of West African Senegal Macky Sall said Thursday that he will leave his position as agreed on April 2. However, he did not say when the presidential elections will be held. However, according to the president’s press release, the election day will be announced “very soon†.
The elections were supposed to be held in February, but after several reversals, the elections were postponed to December. However, the country’s Constitutional Council overturned this decision.
The peculiar situation has caused widespread demonstrations in a traditionally stable country, which have also turned violent. The Constitutional Council ordered the elections to be held as soon as possible.
According to Salli, the new election date will be decided after the matter is scheduled to be discussed starting Monday next week with representatives of the opposition, among others.
The opposition and Sall’s opponents have stated that Sall would try to stay in power in violation of the country’s constitution.
Two of the leading figures of the Senegalese opposition, Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has been detained. According to Salli, they could be released soon.
The sitting president’s decision to postpone the election has been described as being due to the fear that the president’s party would lose the election.
Hundreds of members of the opposition and various civic organizations were released from prison last week. Sall was elected president of Senegal for the first time in 2012.
Source: AFP