The president of Senegal, Macky Sall, dissolved his country’s government this Wednesday (6), appointed a new prime minister and scheduled the elections for President of the Republic for March 24, postponed in February to June.
“The President of the Republic announced, on Wednesday, during the Council of Ministers, that he chose March 24th for the first round of the presidential elections”, informed the Senegalese Executive in an official statement.
He appointed Senegal’s current interior minister, Sidiki Kaba, to serve as prime minister. On February 3rd, in a speech to the nation, Sall announced the postponement of the elections, which were scheduled for the 25th of the same month.
The decision was approved in Parliament and also culminated in the expulsion and arrest of three opposition parliamentarians.
Last year, Ousmane Sonko, considered the current president’s main political opponent, was convicted by the courts, accused of grooming minors. A series of protests took place across the country.
The population returned to the streets after the announcement of the postponement of the elections, with clashes between protesters and police, which ended in the deaths of at least three people.
According to the AFP news agency, the National Assembly of Senegal approved the amnesty bill, involving acts related to protests in the country since 2021. In total, there were 94 votes in favor of the law and 49 against.