- Senegalese President Macky Sall has expressed his readiness to step down after his second term on April 2.
- Earlier this month, President Macky Sall postponed the election originally scheduled for February 25 to December 15.
- Senegal's highest court has dismissed President Macky Sall's attempt to postpone elections and extend his term by nearly a year.
Senegalese President says he is ready to leave office in April
Senegalese President Macky Sall has expressed his readiness to step down after his second term on April 2.
Senegalese President Macky Sall [21stcenturychronicle]
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This assurance may help alleviate concerns about a potential constitutional crisis that could pose a threat to the country's democracy, Bloomberg reported.
According to Sall in an interview on state-owned Radiodiffusion Television Senegalaise on Thursday, “It was never a question of overstaying my mandate. It will ultimately be up to the Constitutional Council to say what needs to be done and everyone will have to agree on that. Now it’s clear that the country cannot stay without a president. This is where the dialogue comes in.”
Election postponement
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Sall sparked a constitutional crisis when he called for the country’s presidential vote to be postponed to December 15 to allow for an inquiry into the process of selecting candidates that could stand in the polls earlier slated for Feb. 25.
The postponement implies that President Macky Sall, whose second and final term was set to conclude on April 2, will remain in office until his successor assumes power.
Opposition leaders denounced the election postponement as a "constitutional coup," and further challenged the delay at the Supreme Court.
Last week, Senegal's highest court dismissed President Macky Sall's attempt to postpone elections and extend his term by nearly a year.
Senegal’s constitution stipulates that in the event of a presidential vacancy, the office passes to the parliamentary speaker, and fresh elections must be conducted within 90 days.
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Sall did not specify a new date for the vote. According to Senegalese law, the election campaign should last for 21 days, and the vote should take place at least one month before the president's term expires.
The election delay, a first in the country's history, spurred protests in the country and led to the restriction of mobile internet access to prevent “threats and disturbances to public order.”
Analysts express concern that the election crisis could heighten instability in West Africa, especially given the region's ongoing challenges with an increase in coups and threats to democratic institutions.
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