Senegal dialogue meetings seek to calm unrest over delay in presidential polls

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) – Two days of national dialogue initiated by outgoing Senegalese President Macky Sall amid unrest after the announcement of postponed presidential elections continued today in Diamniadio, a town near the capital Dakar.

Most political parties have decided to boycott the meetings, including the Let's Preserve Our Election collective, which boasts over 100 organizations and personalities united against the postponement of elections, which had been scheduled for Feb. 25.

Sall's Feb. 3 decision to postpone the election, for which he will not stand after two terms in office, has seen the country, long held up as an example of democracy in Africa, rocked by waves of deadly, violent demonstrations and public discontent. Senegal’s Constitutional Council has urged holding an election as quickly as possible.

At the end of day one, Sall announced that he would present an amnesty law covering the unrest since 2021.

"I insisted on the need for the national dialogue to reach a date for the presidential elections as soon as possible. I explained that my wish is that we can move towards a peaceful, inclusive, and transparent election," Sall said in a speech.

He expressed his willingness to accept a new election date if a consensus could be reached in the best interests of the nation;

"If not, I will ask the Constitutional Council to designate my successor for a handover on April 2," he said, stressing that the most important thing is to set the date for the presidential election.

He announced last Thursday that he would step down as president when his term ends on April 2.