On Friday, Senegal’s Supreme Court dismissed a plea from one of the major opposition parties to halt the presidential election scheduled for March 24, thus averting another potential constitutional crisis in the country.
The Democratic Party of Senegal (PDS) had filed an urgent petition earlier this month seeking to suspend electoral procedures, alleging irregularities and corruption that led to the disqualification of their candidate, Karim Wade.
In announcing the court’s decision, the judge deemed the petition baseless, affirming that the Constitutional Council, responsible for approving presidential candidates, had acted within its legal authority in its decisions.
The Constitutional Council had already postponed the election from February to March after previous attempts by authorities to reschedule it to December and then June, which had triggered unrest and drew international criticism toward Senegal, typically known for its democratic practices in West Africa.
