In a fast-moving turn of events last sunday opposition leaders started giving up the race while vote-counting was still in progress. The nations 7-million strong electorate turned out to pick new parliament members creating an un-expected shift in Senegals political landscape
Bassirou Diomaye Fayeʼs Pastef party gained clear momentum in early counts (according to interior ministry sources). The president who voted in his home-town Ndiaganiao made a well-timed call for peace:
I call on voters to show serenity and accept the popular will expressed through the ballot box
The race included several key players:
- Pastef party led by Faye
- Republic party (APR) with ex-PM Macky Sall
- Opposition coalition SAMM Sa Kaddu
- Gueum Sa Bopp Les Jambars party
Dakars mayor Barthelemy Dias who leads SAMM Sa Kaddu became first to acknowledge defeat; his quick move showed how clear the voting trends were developing
The elections happened about 8 months after Fayeʼs land-slide presidential win. His government found bigger-than-reported debt problems and a stuck IMF deal worth $1‚9 billion from jun-2023. The new parliament might help push through much-needed economic fixes - the country faces high prices and job-market problems that need quick action
The voting process went smooth despite earlier worries about possible un-rest. People could vote from 8am till 6pm with 41 different political groups competing for 165 assembly seats