Senegalese vote in mock election to demonstrate objection to poll delay

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – Opposition supporters in Senegal took part in symbolic voting Sunday to demonstrate their objection to the postponement of the presidential election, which was initially scheduled for Feb. 25.

The symbolic vote in the capital Dakar was organized by a loose grouping of 16 presidential candidates calling themselves the FC25, ostensibly to show their opposition to the postponement of the presidential election and to demand a new election date without delay.

The candidates, who declared Feb. 25 a “day of mourning for Senegalese democracy,” called on voters through social media to turn up with red and black cards to “show President Macky Sall that Feb. 25 remained the designated day of the presidential election.”

Images on social media showed dozens of people lining up with their national IDs in front of “polling officials” to cast their votes in symbolic ballot boxes in a mock exercise.

The ballot boxes were labeled with the words “RIP Feb. 25.”

“It's Feb. 25, which was supposed to be the day of the presidential election. We ask the President of the Republic to organize the election as soon as possible because we value our democracy,” one voter told local media.

Thousands of social media users also joined the protest online, changing their profile pictures to a black image with the words “RIP Feb. 25.”

As people assembled in some areas, they were dispersed by security forces, local media reported.

Sall, who has been in power since 2012, announced Thursday that his mandate as president will end on April 2 and consultations for the organization of the election of his successor will be held on Monday and Tuesday this week.

The FC25, however, said they will not participate in the dialogue, citing their “commitment to democracy, respect for the fundamental principles of transparency and equal opportunities for all candidates.”

Sall announced the indefinite suspension of the Feb. 25 presidential election on Feb. 3, citing a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption of constitutional judges, plunging the country into political chaos during which three people were killed in protests and dozens of others were arrested.

The National Assembly then passed a bill postponing the vote until Dec. 15 during a tense session in which security forces stormed the building and removed some opposition lawmakers.

But the Senegalese Constitutional Council declared the law postponing the country’s presidential vote to December “unconstitutional” and annulled Sall’s decree to delay the poll.