NEWS- The Segalese Opposition Member of Parliament Guy Marius Sagna has revealed that they will set up a parallel government of national unity if President Macky Sall does not restore the planned presidential election by April 3rd 2024 when his current term of office comes to an end.
This revelation comes as the death toll amid protests in Senegal over the postponement of the presidential election until December yesterday February 21th rose to three and concerns grow that one of the remaining democracies in West Africa is under threat.
Senegal President Macky Sall announcement the delay of the elections which were scheduled for February 25th just three weeks ahead to December 15th, which has triggered violent clashes between protesters and the Police in the capital City Dakar and several other cities in a wave of unrest that many observers fear will spill over into protracted instability.
President Macky Sall said the election delay was necessary because electoral disputes threatened the credibility of the poll, but some opposition Members of Parliament have denounced the move and declared it as an institutional coup.
This has led to public outcry and as fear mounts, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS have urged President Sall to put the country back on a regular electoral footing to avoid further bloodshed.
Senegal Opposition Legislators have since urged their supporters to turn out and show their opposition to a last-minute delay of presidential polls, in a test of the balance of power between President Macky Sall and opponents.
When the Parliament backed President Sall’s sudden decision to postpone the February 25th election by 10 months on Monday last week, the decision sparked a fierce opposition backlash and international concern.
This unprecedented move by President Sall has called into question the West African country’s reputation for democratic stability in a region beset by military coups.
A number of religious leader, citizens’ groups and professional organisations have teamed up in a newly formed collective concern and issued an appeal for people to attend Friday prayers dressed in white and the national colours to show their displeasure and residents in the Capotal City Dakar have also been urged to demonstrate at the Place de la Nation square in the middle of the capital.
Although the identity of those calling for the rally has not been revealed, several candidates for the postponed presidential ballot have announced they plan to join the demonstration.
Friday’s planned day of action could indicate the weight of opposition to the electoral delay, which has pitched Senegal into uncharted waters.
The vote by MPs to delay the presidential election paved the way for President Macky Sall, whose second term expires in early April to remain in office until his successor is installed, probably in 2025.
So far the security forces have quashed attempts to demonstrate and arrested dozens of people and the authorities have not publicly said how they will respond to the planned demonstration in central Dakar on Friday.
Additional Reporting by Associated Press
