By James Tasamba
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) — Senegalese opposition politician Bassirou Diomaye Faye has won Sunday's presidential election, defeating the candidate of the ruling coalition by a clear margin after a tight poll, according to preliminary results released on Monday.
"I salute the smooth running of the presidential election of March 24, 2024 and congratulate the winner, Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who the trends show as the winner. It is the victory of Senegalese democracy," outgoing President Macky Sall said Monday on X.
The results showed Faye leading with nearly 58% of the vote against the 33% of his main rival, former Prime Minister Amadou Ba of the ruling coalition.
The West African nation's electoral body is expected to provide more detailed results on Tuesday as vote counting is still underway.
In a statement, Ba said that "in view of the trends in the results of the presidential election," he had called Faye "to congratulate him on his victory pending the official proclamation."
"I pray to the Almighty to grant him the energy and strength necessary to assume this high office at the head of our country," he said.
Ba had said earlier on Sunday night that was ready for a runoff vote in two weeks if he and none of the other candidates are able to secure the 50% threshold.
Faye, 44, became Ba's main competitor after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who enjoys wide support among young people, was barred from the race due to a defamation conviction.
Faye and Sonko, whose political party, called the Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF), was dissolved by the government last year, were released from prison under amnesty law 10 days ahead of the election, after which they moved together on the campaign trail.
Faye was imprisoned following a post on his Facebook account criticizing the Senegalese justice system in connection with Sonko's case.
Nineteen candidates were running in the presidential race, including the only female candidate, Anta Babacar Ngom, but two dropped out to back Faye. Some 7.3 million Senegalese were eligible to vote in the election.
Senegal witnessed mass protests earlier this year after President Sall announced the postponement of the election originally scheduled on Feb. 25, citing a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption of constitutional judges.
The National Assembly then passed a bill postponing the vote until Dec. 15 as 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 his decree to delay the poll.
Sall announced the new poll date after the Constitutional Council ruled that it would be unconstitutional to hold the presidential election after April 2, the date marking the end of the current term of the president.