The top election authority in Senegal has declared the government’s postponement of the presidential election, originally slated for February 25th and rescheduled for December, as unconstitutional.
According to a judgement approved by seven members of the Constitutional Council and obtained by The Associated Press, the decree signed by President Macky Sall to postpone the election has been cancelled. Similarly, the National Assembly’s decision on February 5th to reschedule the vote for December 15th has been deemed “contrary to the constitution.”
The Constitutional Council’s judgement emphasized the necessity of holding the presidential election as soon as possible, given the impossibility of organizing it on the initially planned date.
The postponement has sparked political turmoil in the country. It remains uncertain whether the election can proceed as initially scheduled or if additional time will be required to facilitate political campaigns.
President Sall has refrained from making immediate public comments in response to the ruling. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, he had avoided speculation about his reaction to the court’s decision, stating that he would address the matter when the judgement is delivered.
The decision to postpone the election came just hours before campaign activities were set to commence. President Sall cited a dispute between the judiciary and the legislature over the final list of candidates, as well as concerns about the reported dual nationality of some candidates, as reasons for the delay.
Opposition leaders vehemently rejected the postponement, leading to protests, violent clashes with security forces, arrests, and mobile internet disruptions, further exacerbating political tensions in Senegal, known as one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
This year’s election has been marred by controversies, including deadly protests that prompted President Sall to announce that he would not seek a third term, as well as the disqualification of two opposition leaders.
While the opposition accused President Sall of attempting to extend his tenure beyond constitutional limits, he maintained that the postponement was aimed at preventing the country from facing “major difficulties” due to the electoral dispute.