02/06/2024

Senegal Postpones Presidential Election to December

Here is what to know

Senegal’s National Assembly voted on Monday to postpone the West African nation’s presidential election until Dec. 15, pushing voting back by nearly 10 months from its previously scheduled date of Feb. 25, to allow a probe into the selection of eligible candidates for the polls.

The delay, earlier announced unilaterally by President Macky Sall over the weekend, is a first for Senegal, which has had generally peaceful transitions of power since it gained independence from France in 1960 but has recently experienced a decline in civil liberties that have opposition lawmakers, civilians, rights watchdogs, and other governments worried. Until now, Senegal (population 18 million) had been an outlier in the region, in which neighboring nations have experienced destabilizing civil wars and military coups.

Protesters have taken to the streets, and critics have described the postponement as a constitutional “coup,” as Sall is now expected to stay in office beyond his term expiration of April 2, until a new President takes power. Here’s what to know about the situation.

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.