By Blessing Chinagorom
The United States has expressed concern by actions taken to delay Senegal’s February 25 presidential election, which the US said it run contrary to Senegal’s strong democratic tradition.
In a statement released by the State Department Spokesperson, Mathew Miller on Tuesday while reacting to the Senegalese lawmakers, on Monday voted to delay the election till December 15, developments that will extend President Macky Sall’s tenure until there is a successor.
The US alarmed that by this reports and the report of security forces removing by force parliamentarians who opposed a bill to delay the election, resulting in a National Assembly vote which the United States considered as illegitimate, given the conditions under which it took place.
The United States urged the Government of Senegal to move forward with its presidential election in accordance with the Constitution and electoral laws.
“We also call on the Senegalese govt to restore full Internet access immediately and to ensure freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression, including for members of the press, are fully respected. The United States will remain engaged with all parties and regional partners in the days ahead”.
In a televised address to the nation, Sall announced the cancellation of the relevant electoral law, citing a dispute over candidate list. He signed a decree abolishing November 2023 measure that had initially set election date but did not provide a new date.
Meanwhile, report has it that on Monday Senegalese police cracked down on protests in Dakar following President Macky Sall’s announcement of indefinite postponement of the presidential election scheduled for February 25.
The report further said that the former Prime Minister Aminata Toure, an opposition figure, has been arrested, characterizing the move as an “unprecedented democratic regression.”
In the early signs of pushback against the postponement, around 200 protesters took to the streets waving Senegalese flags or wearing the jersey of the national football team early afternoon and blocked traffic on one of Dakar’s main streets.
Some even burned tyres and threw rocks at the police. This prompted the riot police to fire tear gas into the crowd and detain protesters. At least two opposition presidential candidates were reportedly detained by security forces.
