Presidential candidate Khalifa Sall of Senegal has publically
expressed opposition to the recent decision to postpone the country’s presidential elections. The move comes as a direct response to President Macky Sall’s
announcement to delay the elections, initially slated for February 25, 2024. The postponement arises from alleged corruption during the final candidate approval stage.
In a
televised address on Saturday, President Macky Sall linked his decision to an ongoing conflict between the Senegalese parliament and the Constitutional Council. The controversy ignited after the deputies’ majority approved an investigation against two Constitutional Council judges for supposed irregularities in the
approval of presidential candidacies. Of note was the
discovery that one approved candidate, Rose Wardini, held dual French-Senegalese citizenship, against the Constitution’s requirement for presidential candidates to have exclusively Senegalese citizenship.
Amid these developments, Khalifa Sall, leader of Taxawu Sénégal, has firmly opposed the election’s postponement. He
argued that President Macky Sall’s decision suspends the electoral process illegally, labeling it a “constitutional coup.”
In response to these events, the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), a mutual defense pact between Mali, Niger, and Burkina, has
tweeted that President Macky Sall’s decision undermines the promise of democratic change for the Senegalese people. The ASS awaits the reaction of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the possible sanctions it may impose in response to this situation.
The original reporting on this story was provided by
JURIST – News.