Amidst fears for Senegal’s democracy President Macky Sall’s ruling coalition has announced to have won 30 of the country’s 46 administrative departments in the July 31 legislative elections.
Amidst fears for Senegal’s democracy President Macky Sall’s ruling coalition has announced to have won 30 of the country’s 46 administrative departments in the July 31 legislative elections. However, the final nationwide result of the election is expected to be known by the close of this week. Senegal has a hybrid election system that includes winners of the proportional representation vote and those who earn the maximum votes from Non-resident Senegalese.
Polls opened for the 7 million Senegalese voters at 8 a.m. GMT on July 31st until 6 p.m. GMT, to elect 165 National Assembly deputies. The elected representatives will serve in the country’s single-chamber parliament for the next five years. According to the news agency Reuters, turnout had been rather low.
Senegal is considered one of the continent’s most stable democracies, in West Africa. There has been concern that the president, whose second and final term in power expires in 2024, could use a new majority in parliament to extend his tenure. Sall has also been vague about his intention to bid for a third term in 2024, a move that would be unconstitutional. There has been allegations that the president has been abusing his power to ban and disqualify opposition members from contesting elections.
Like most of economies, Senegal also has been struggling with the rising domestic discontent, amid the global rise in fuel and food prices, induced by the war in Ukraine.
Also read;
https://trendsnafrica.com/opposition-parties-form-coalition-ahead-of-senegal-elections/
https://trendsnafrica.com/senegals-ruling-coalition-suffers-electoral-losses/
