2024-03-19 20:44:59
After months of a political crisis full of twists and turns, the Senegalese go to the polls on Sunday to choose their president. Nineteen contenders are in the running to succeed Macky Sall. A look back at the journeys and emblematic proposals of four candidates: Amadou Ba, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Idrissa Seck and Khalifa Sall.
Published on: 03/19/2024 – 9:44 p.m.
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A running campaign ends in Senegal for the nineteen contenders. In just two weeks, the candidates for the presidency of the Republic had the difficult task of convincing voters to cast a ballot in their name on Sunday, March 24.
This extraordinary campaign was cut short due to the political crisis which followed the postponement on February 3 of the presidential election, initially scheduled for February 25, by President Macky Sall. The Constitutional Council then forced him to set a new date.
See alsoPresidential election in Senegal: Dakar lives to the rhythm of the electoral campaign
In these exceptional conditions, the candidates have increased the number of trips and public meetings in recent days to make themselves known and present their program. Unemployment, emigration, sovereignty, crisis in the fishing sector, school, public freedoms… A look back at the key measures of the four main candidates:
- Amadou Ba, the candidate of continuity
Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba speaks in Dakar, December 21, 2023. © Seylou, AFP
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Economy and Finance, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, 62, wears the colors of the presidential majority. The former tax inspector poses as a candidate for the stability and continuity of Macky Sall’s economic record while promising appeasement after trying months of political crisis.
See alsoAmadou Ba, Senegalese Prime Minister: “I will win the presidential election in the first round”
During the campaign, Amadou Ba focused his program on youth employment in a country where three-quarters of the population is under 35 years old. Its flagship promise: to create one million jobs by 2028 by focusing on a public/private partnership and investment in agriculture, industry, infrastructure and renewable energies.
He also mentions an update of “conventions and contracts signed by the State of Senegal in the field of natural resources”, a minimum solidarity allowance for the elderly or even the acceleration of the project to build a national arts school and cultural professions.
- Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the anti-system proposal
Candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye during a press conference in Dakar, March 15, 2024. © John Wessels, AFP
Understudy of the opponent Ousmane Sonko, excluded in January from the presidential race, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, 44, benefited from an even shorter period of time than the other candidates to campaign in person. Released from prison on Thursday in the company of the mayor of Ziguinchor, the co-founder of Pastef is playing the “dégagisme” card to clean up the political class and promises to reconquer the “sovereignty” of Senegal, a term used 18 times in his project.
To do this, he proposes getting rid of the CFA franc inherited from colonization to put a new currency into circulation or even generalizing the teaching of English in a country where French is the official language. He also says he wants to renegotiate mining and hydrocarbon contracts as well as defense agreements.
The Pastef project also aims to carry out a reform of the institutions with the creation of a position of vice-president and the introduction of safeguards to the powers of the president who could now be dismissed.
- Idrissa Seck, the old driver
Idrissa Seck, president of the Rewmi party and candidate for the Senegalese presidential election, during a press conference in Dakar, January 15, 2019. © Seyllou, AFP
The former Prime Minister of Abdoulaye Wade between 2002 and 2004, Idrissa Seck, is a regular in the presidential race since he is seeking the vote of the Senegalese for the fourth consecutive time. At 64, the former opponent of Macky Sall, who has long maintained suspense over his candidacy, highlights his political experience and his knowledge of the workings of the State to try to seduce voters.
Among the emblematic measures of his program, we find compulsory military service, the creation of a common currency for West African countries or even a fund financed by oil and gas companies to compensate for the damage suffered by fishing.
See alsoPresidential election in Senegal: faced with the lack of fish, fishermen challenge the candidates
On the economic level, the founder of the Rewmi party proposes to devote 60% of public investments to territories located outside the Dakar region.
- Khalifa Sall, the ghost
Senegalese presidential candidate Khalifa Sall greets his supporters during a tour of several districts of the capital as part of his campaign, March 9, 2024. © Seyllou, AFP
Khalifa Sall is another heavyweight in Senegalese politics to try his luck. Sentenced in 2018 to five years in prison and five million CFA francs for fraud and embezzlement of public funds, the leader of the Taxawu Senegal coalition was unable to take part in the 2019 presidential election. Macky Sall’s rival has since returned to the political game thanks to a presidential pardon then a law authorizing a rehabilitation of civil rights for people convicted but amnestied following the national dialogue initiated by the government in May 2023.
Read alsoPresidential election in Senegal: Khalifa Sall “regrets” the absences of Karim Wade and Ousmane Sonko
For this presidential election, Khalifa Sall, 68, presents himself as the candidate to heal a “damaged” Republic. For this, the one who sees himself as the heir of the Senegalese socialist party promises to establish a citizens’ initiative referendum. He also assures that he will devote at least 1,000 billion CFA francs (1.5 billion euros) of the annual national budget to agriculture.
Its foreign policy will aim to “diversify and rebalance” diplomatic and economic partnerships by “strengthening South-South cooperation and with emerging countries”.
The list of 19 candidates for the presidential election in Senegal
Anta Babacar Ngom
Amadou Ba
Boubacar Camara
Cheikh Tidiane Dieye
Déthié Fall
Daouda Ndiaye
Habib Sy
Khalifa Sall
Idrissa Seck
Mame Boye Diao
Mouhamed Boun Abdallah Dionne
Aliou Mamadou Dia
Malick Gackou
Aly Ngouille Ndiaye
Mamadou Lamine Diallo
Serigne Mboup
Pope Djibril Fall
Bassirou Diomaye – The Best Of Bassirou Diomaye
Thierno Allassane Sall
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