Seven months before the Senegalese presidential election, the deputies voted, Saturday evening, August 5, a text which should allow the two opposition figures, Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade, to present themselves. The widely adopted bill makes it possible to restore their eligibility.
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Adopted by 124 votes for, 1 against and 0 abstentions, the reform of the Senegalese electoral code allows anyone convicted and having subsequently benefited from an amnesty or a pardon to appear on the electoral lists, and therefore to stand for election. If the text defended by the government is promulgated, Khalifa Sall, former mayor of Dakar, and Karim Wade, heir to the former president Abdoulaye Wadewill therefore be able to embark on the presidential race in February 2024.
Due to convictions in separate financial cases, they had been barred from contesting the 2019 ballot against incumbent and eventual winner, current President Macky Sall. Their electoral rehabilitation could make it possible to contribute to appease in part the tumults crossed by Senegal.
The country, which stands out for its relative stability in a troubled region, has indeed experienced several episodes of deadly protest since 2021, linked to the showdown between opponent Ousmane Sonko and power. The uncertainty about a candidacy of the outgoing president for a third term, finally discarded by Macky Sallhad also contributed to the tensions.