Voting is below means in Senegal in a delayed presidential election that many hope will convey change after a turbulent political interval that has triggered violent anti-government protests and boosted assist for the opposition.
Greater than seven million of the nation’s over 17 million individuals are registered to vote within the election, which has seen about 16,440 polling stations open on Sunday throughout the nation and within the diaspora.
Nineteen contenders are vying to exchange President Macky Sall, stepping down after a second time period marred by unrest over the prosecution of opposition chief Ousmane Sonko and considerations that Sall needed to increase his mandate previous the constitutional restrict.
The incumbent isn’t on the poll for the primary time in Senegal’s historical past. His ruling coalition has picked former prime minister Amadou Ba, 62, as its candidate.
Sonko, Sall’s primary opponent, was not in a position to participate after he was convicted of defamation. Bassirou Diomaye Faye changed Sonko because the candidate for the PASTEF social gathering.
In addition to Ba and Faye, Dakar’s former Mayor Khalifa Sall, veteran politician Idrissa Seck, former Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, an in depth ally of President Sall Aly Ngouille Ndiaye and entrepreneur and political newcomer Anta Babacar Ngom — the only lady among the many candidates — are all part of the presidential race.
To keep away from a run-off election, one candidate should safe greater than 50 % of the vote. Whereas official outcomes are anticipated subsequent week, in earlier elections candidates have introduced their predictions on the identical night because the vote.
Reporting from Dakar, Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque mentioned it was an “uncommon” election.
“There’s each anticipation such as you would have in any election; there is a component of concern and unknown as a result of that is the primary election within the final 12 years the place President Macky Sall isn’t within the operating … and there is a component of pleasure, particularly amongst these younger, first-time voters.
“That is an election like no different and it’s crucial, particularly for younger folks.”
‘Voting for change’
Traces shaped exterior polling stations round Dakar on Sunday. Roads have been quiet because the nation’s elite police power was deployed throughout the town in armoured automobiles, checking voters’ playing cards.
“I’m so completely satisfied to have the ability to train my proper to vote as a Senegalese citizen,” voter Thiaba Camara Sy, from the organisation Demain Senegal (Tomorrow Senegal), informed Al Jazeera at a polling station in Dakar.
“That is one thing that we have now gained as a result of the chance was excessive of the election being delayed till who is aware of when, so I’ve been queuing for 2 hours however I’m completely satisfied.”
Within the ocean-facing neighbourhood of Dakar’s Ngor, fisherman Alioune Samba, 66, mentioned he was voting for the change everybody desires.
“Meals, water, faculty; the whole lot is pricey with the low earnings we have now in Senegal,” the daddy of three informed Reuters information company.
Khodia Ndiayes, a 52-year-old cook dinner, informed the Related Press information company she picked Faye on the poll as a result of she needed Sonko to win.
“I’m proud to have voted,” she mentioned. “We’d like a brand new president as a result of life is pricey, the financial system is dangerous and we want higher faculties.”
Al Jazeera’s Haque mentioned it appeared that lots of people have come out to vote.
“It’s attention-grabbing who these individuals are: quite a lot of younger males but additionally ladies, key on this election as a result of ladies make up a considerable a part of the voters in Senegal,” he mentioned.
Faye versus Ba
Faye, who was endorsed by the extra in style Sonko to exchange him, was detained nearly a yr in the past on expenses together with defamation and contempt of courtroom.
An amnesty regulation handed this month allowed his release days earlier than the vote. He and his colleague Diomaye have campaigned collectively below the banner “Diomaye is Sonko”.
“The inhabitants is selecting between continuation and rupture,” Faye mentioned after casting his vote, urging contenders to simply accept the end result.
In the meantime, Ba mentioned that he was “very, very, very assured” of his probabilities of successful.
In these elections, “the 2 political camps stand on reverse sides of the political spectrum”, Mucahid Durmaz, a senior political danger analyst for West Africa at Verisk Maplecroft, informed Al Jazeera.
He famous that whereas outgoing President Sall and his ruling coalition candidate Ba favour financial liberalisation insurance policies, opposition determine Sonko and his chosen candidate Faye plan to introduce a brand new forex and renegotiate contracts with oil and fuel operators within the nation.
“The problem right here is that regardless of the financial increase that the nation has witnessed through the years below President Sall, it’s not likely facilitated a wider socioeconomic improvement for the nation’s youthful inhabitants,” Durmaz mentioned.
Financial points
Unemployment is one other key situation within the election.
Frustration on the lack of job alternatives has spurred assist for Sonko and his backed candidate Faye, significantly among the many youth.
The share of younger Senegalese not in employment, training or coaching stood at 35 % in 2019, earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic additional squeezed the job market.
In addition to unemployment, the rising price of residing spurred by Russia’s battle in Ukraine and the appreciation of the US greenback have undermined assist for present ruling Senegalese authorities.
The launch of oil and fuel manufacturing later in 2024 has additionally raised questions on whether or not the pure useful resource wealth will profit the broader inhabitants and create jobs.
The Sonko-backed opposition coalition has promised to renegotiate vitality contracts to maximise revenues, whereas Ba is operating on the slogan “Prosperity Shared”.
‘Calm’ voting course of
Whereas the elections come amid frustrations over a fragile financial system, in keeping with election observers, the voting course of has been comparatively peaceable.
A whole lot of election observers from civil society, the African Union, the regional group the Financial Neighborhood of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union have been on the bottom monitoring the equity of the vote.
“From the opening this morning, our observers – and it’s a partial piece of the image – we have now seen that there are fairly some queues in entrance of the workplaces, which exhibits that individuals are mobilised to go and use their proper to vote and specific their views for the way forward for Senegal,” Malin Bjork, from the EU election observer mission to Senegal, informed Al Jazeera.
“Election workplaces are functioning effectively. It’s calm; there’s serenity within the course of, in keeping with our observations,” she added.
“I feel at the moment is a really nice day for us,” the Aar Sunu Election (Shield Our Election) group, led by Dr Abdoulaye Bousso, informed Al Jazeera in Dakar.
When Sall introduced the cancellation of the election in February, there was an uproar from civil society within the nation, together with Bousso’s group.
“We fought to have this election day occur and we’re very proud to see the large mobilisation of the Senegalese folks.
“For us, it’s the victory of the Senegalese democracy.”
