The two leading candidates have expressed optimism about a victory that can only be decided by the country’s seven million voters.
Over seven million eligible voters in Senegal will today (Sunday) elect a new president to succeed the outgoing president, Macky Sall.
Although 17 candidates are on the ballot, the contest is widely believed to be between the candidate of the ruling party and former Prime Minister, Amadou Ba and the leading opposition figure, Bassirou Diomaye Fay.
The two leading candidates have expressed optimism about a victory that can only be decided by the country’s seven million voters.
The election is taking place after an attempt by President Sall to delay it till December. The move was resisted through massive demonstrations and public outcry, forcing the country’s Supreme Court to invalidate it.
The election is crucial to Senegalese because the president had secured parliamentary support to postpone it from February 25 to December.
However, the Supreme Court of Senegal decided against President Sall and stated that the delay was unconstitutional.
Following the decision of the apex court of the land, President Sall was compelled to conduct the election immediately, which will be held today.
As it stands, the opposition candidate is relying heavily on urban unemployed youths and the diaspora. While the ruling party hopes to secure the support of the country’s rural electorates.
Whoever emerges the winner will face the challenges of tackling unemployment, inflation and the high cost of living.
Senegal, with a population of 18 million, is one of Africa’s stable democracies; having never experienced military disruption of democratic governance since its independence in 1960.
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