Senegalese President Macky Sall declared the indefinite postponement of the presidential election scheduled for February 25, just hours before the official commencement of campaigning.
Addressing the nation, Sall stated that he had signed a decree revoking the prior decision, citing the need to investigate the integrity of two Constitutional Council judges involved in the electoral process, whose credibility had been called into question.
Sall further announced his intention to initiate an open national dialogue aimed at establishing the necessary conditions for a free, transparent, and inclusive election.
However, he did not provide a new date for the postponed election. This marks the first instance of a delay in a Senegalese presidential election.
In a November 2023 decree, Sall had initially set the election date for February 25, with 20 candidates in contention, excluding two prominent opposition figures.
Despite his prior assurances of a prompt handover in early April to the election winner, Sall did not specify a new timeline.
Having ruled out a third term, Sall had designated Prime Minister Amadou Ba from his party as his potential successor. The Constitutional Council had previously disqualified numerous candidates, including notable opposition figures like Ousmane Sonko, a prominent anti-system figurehead, and Karim Wade, the son of former president Abdoulaye Wade.
The situation remains dynamic, with political developments unfolding as the nation awaits clarity on the rescheduled election.
