Police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators attempting to assemble outside Senegal’s parliament on Monday, as they expressed their dissatisfaction with the sudden delay of elections by the president.
During the protest, Parliament initiated discussions about a proposed bill to change the date of the 25 February election to 25 August and prolong Macky Sall’s term as president until his replacement takes office.
Sall’s unexpected declaration on Saturday has put the west African nation in unfamiliar territory, risking damage to its reputation as a model of democratic stability in a region plagued by overthrowing of governments.
According to Mohammad Mbengue, one of the demonstrators, they are attempting to prolong the president’s term, which is against the law and not permitted.
Around one hundred individuals assembled outside of the legislative building on Monday following clashes the previous day, shouting “Macky Sall is a tyrant”. Law enforcement pursued them into adjacent roads and detained some of them.
Mobile internet access has been temporarily limited by authorities since Sunday evening due to concerns over hate speech on social media and potential disruption to public safety. As a result, multiple schools dismissed students early.
On Sunday, the private television channel Walf reported that it was no longer broadcasting and its license had been cancelled.
According to Dame, a protester who only provided his first name, Senegal used to have a reputation for a robust democracy, but that is no longer true. He stated that the main demand of the protestors is a just election. He expressed concern that Sall would hold onto his position indefinitely.
On Monday, the African Union joined in the request with other regional organizations and western governments for a prompt establishment of a new election date.
Sall stated that he postponed the election due to a disagreement concerning the list of candidates and alleged corruption within the constitutional body responsible for managing it.
The PDS, the opposing political party in Senegal, had their candidate disqualified from running due to concerns about their dual nationality. They are in favor of postponing the election and have put forth a bill in parliament prior to Sall’s announcement.
However, there were others who responded with anger. The F24 platform, which consists of various civil society organizations that have organized previous protests, as well as the opposition presidential candidate Khalifa Sall, a former mayor of Dakar, referred to it as an “institutional coup”.
Several contenders have stated their intention to move forward with their campaign plans, originally scheduled to commence this weekend. Two of them, Khalifa Sall and Aly Ngouille, have announced their intent to legally contest the decision to postpone the start of the campaigns.
At least two candidates were detained when police in riot gear broke up protests in Dakar on Sunday, firing teargas and rounding up participants. Another was injured and taken to hospital, his team said.
The recent statement by the president and the resulting backlash have sparked concerns about potential recurrence of violent demonstrations seen in the last three years. These protests were sparked by fears that Macky Sall would seek a third term in office and allegations of the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko being marginalized politically.
According to a statement from Oxford Economics, the upcoming months will be unpredictable and they doubt that law enforcement will be able to control all of the public’s frustration.
In order for the postponement bill to pass, it must be supported by a majority vote of at least three-fifths of the national assembly.
According to an analysis by Barclays, if both the ruling party, which has 49% of the seats, and the opposition coalition, which includes the PDS, vote in favor, it is possible for this to pass. In a note, Barclays stated that this delay could potentially lead to more delays and give the president more leeway to make decisions.
Source: theguardian.com
