By Andrew Wasike
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Thousands of Senegalese citizens turned out to vote in the general elections on Sunday to elect 165 members of parliament to serve next five-year terms.
Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. local time (0800GMT) and closed at 6:00 p.m. (1800GMT), with official results expected in the coming days.
Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko told reporters after voting at a girls' school in Ziguinchor, "We call for and wish for a peaceful vote. Peace and serenity are the expressions of democracy. Violence has no place in a democratic society. Therefore, we urge citizens to make their own decisions freely.”
After a few hours of voting, local Senegal Press Agency (APS) broadcasters showed long lines of voters at polling stations across the country, with some local media outlets reporting high voter turnout.
The country's electoral authority, Commission Electorale Nationale Autonome (CENA), has set up 15,633 polling stations across the country.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who assumed office in March 2024, is pushing for a parliamentary majority to carry out his ambitious reform agenda.
His party, the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (PASTEF), aims to win at least 83 seats in the National Assembly, which hitherto has been dominated by the opposition.
According to the electoral commission, 7.3 million registered voters, out of Senegal's total population of approximately 17.5 million, are participating in the legislative elections, selecting from 41 parties and coalitions, including the former ruling Alliance for the Republic (APR) and the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS).
The results will determine the government's ability to implement policies that address economic challenges and public dissatisfaction.
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, a key ally of President Faye, has actively campaigned for the PASTEF coalition, noting that the government will propose new anti-corruption measures and economic reforms in the crucial vote.
Former President Macky Sall, whose term ended in April, leads the opposition coalition Takku Wallu Senegal.
Sall hopes to gain a parliamentary majority as the opposition criticizes Faye's administration for failing to address economic challenges such as rising unemployment and inflation.
The opposition also accuses the government of failing to address corruption and making insufficient progress toward implementing promised reforms.
President Faye disbanded the previous opposition-led assembly in September, citing legislative gridlock.