In Senegal, the extraordinary session of the National Assembly concerning the modification of the law relating to the electoral code opened on Thursday 3 August. A revision that could allow opponents Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade, excluded from the last presidential election of 2019 by court convictions, to run for the next election in February 2024.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Dakar, Thea Olivier
The session lasted a few minutes, the time for the President of the National Assembly, Amadou Mame Diop, to announce the timetable to the applause of the deputies of the majority: the technical committee will work this Friday, August 4, then the plenary assembly will meet on Saturday to amend the electoral code.
This bill is the initiative of three parliamentary groups: the presidential coalition Benno Bokk Yaakaar, the Senegalese Democratic Party of Abdoulaye Wade and the Taxawu Senegal party of Khalifa Sall. It is also the result of the political dialogue in June, welcomes Aly Mané, of the presidential coalition:
” Two axes will be discussed and will concern the eligibility of people who have been sentenced. It will improve the atmosphere and the political environment. In dialogue, everything is possible in politics. »
For Sanou Dione, deputy of the opposition coalition Yewwi Askan Wi and also a member of Taxawu Senegal, the political party of Khalifa Sall, this revision brings hope for its leader but also for all the presidential candidates, including Ousmane Sonko, currently in prison :
” We are fighting for his release. We are fighting for Ousmane Sonko to be a candidate. But that does not prevent that if we have an opportunity for Khalifa Sall to be a candidate, we will support him. That does not mean that we are going to give up so that Ousmane Sonko stays in prison. We will do our best in committee so that Sonko can participate in the elections. »
Ousmane Sonko’s party the Pastef, which has since been dissolved by the authoritieshad not participated in the national dialogue.
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