Senegal’s Constitutional Council released an updated list of candidates for the upcoming presidential election on Tuesday, February 20th. The list remains largely unchanged from the one finalized in January, with only one candidate, Rose Wardini, withdrawing from the race. This move effectively shuts down calls for a complete overhaul of the pre-election process.
The originally scheduled election on February 25th was postponed by President Macky Sall just hours before campaigning began. This sparked outrage and plunged the nation into its worst political crisis in decades. Parliament initially backed a delay until December, extending Sall’s term, but this decision was overturned by the Constitutional Council last week.
While Sall has pledged to comply with the ruling and organize the election “as soon as possible,” uncertainty remains regarding the exact timeframe. The key question is whether the vote will occur before or after Sall’s official term ends on April 2nd. Additionally, debates are ongoing about whether to restart the entire electoral process from scratch, given the original validation of 20 candidates in January.
With 19 candidates now vying for the presidency, the upcoming election promises to be a fiercely contested one. The updated list effectively sets the stage for a crucial chapter in Senegal’s political history, and all eyes are on how the coming weeks unfold.
