Senegalese lawmakers agreed late Monday to postpone this month’s presidential election until December, an extraordinary action that has aroused international worry about a country traditionally regarded as a beacon of stability in West Africa.
Following the forcible removal of opposing deputies from the chamber, the bill passed nearly unanimously, with 105 votes in favor and one against.
It allows President Macky Sall to remain in office until his successor is installed, despite rising concerns about the deterioration of democracy.
“The situation is completely catastrophic, Senegal’s image has been ruined, and I don’t think we’ll be recovering from this democratic bankruptcy, this tsunami in the rule of law, anytime soon,” opposition deputy Ayib Daffe said following the vote.
Earlier, security police fired tear gas to disperse small groups of opposition protesters, who chanted “Macky Sall dictator”.
The atmosphere in Senegal has been tense since Saturday, when Sall announced a delay in the February 25 vote, just hours before campaigning was scheduled to begin.
“Let us not be an assembly of shame. “Let’s make sure that when we leave here, we can look at our children with pride and say that we were the last wall, the last bulwark,” opposition MP Abass Fall said during the postponement discussion.
The suggestion for the election delay, approved a day earlier by a preparatory committee, was supported by MPs from Sall’s party, which has been unable to fully coalesce around the president’s preferred successor.
“President Macky Sall announced that he would serve two terms. “He kept his promise,” said MP Moussa Diakhate, chairman of the pro-government legal committee.
Violence has already erupted in Senegal on fears that Sall might want to extend his tenure past the end of his second term, despite his repeated assurances that he would not.
‘Constitutional coup’
The periodic skirmishes outside parliament were unusual in the generally peaceful area of downtown Dakar, where police and security forces, backed up by heavy equipment, were deployed to guard parliament.
Demonstrator Malick Diouf, 37, stated that he had no preferred candidate and did not even have a voting card, but felt it was important to attend and demonstrate.
“The main thing for me is to say ‘no’ to this political agenda, this coup de force to try to stay in power,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.
Opposition leaders called the proposed delay a “constitutional coup” and an assault on democracy.
Violent street protests erupted in Dakar on Sunday, and two opposition candidates, including former Prime Minister Aminata Toure, were arrested and later freed.
Early Monday, the authorities blocked mobile internet connection, citing the spread of “hateful and subversive messages” on social media.
It was a replay of a decision made last June, when mobile data was blocked due to rising tensions in the country.
The tactic has been a popular response to reducing mobilisation and communication via social media.
Democracy at risk
Senegal has never had a coup since obtaining independence from France in 1960, making it a unique exception in coup-prone West Africa.
The anticipated delay caused worldwide concern, with the United States, European Union, and France all calling for the election to be postponed as soon as possible.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, urged Senegal to overcome its “political dispute through consultation, understanding, and dialogue.”
Human Rights Watch said that Senegal was in risk of losing its democratic credentials.
“Senegal has long been regarded as a beacon of democracy in the region.” This is now in jeopardy,” it warned in a statement.
“Authorities must take action to prevent violence, reign in abusive security personnel, and stop their attacks on the opposition and media. They should support free speech, expression, and assembly, as well as restore the internet, to put Senegal back on track toward democracy.”
The situation has raised fears of the type of violent unrest that erupted in March 2021 and June 2023, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of arrests.
Tensions had risen amid suspicions that Sall was considering seeking for a third term, until he announced last July that he would not run again.
The opposition now fears that the postponement is part of the presidential campaign’s plot to avoid defeat, or perhaps to extend Sall’s stay in power, despite his stated intention not to run for re-election.
Sall has named Prime Minister Amadou Ba as his potential successor.
However, with the ruling party divided over his candidacy, he faced likely defeat at the polls.
Sall announced on Saturday that he had delayed the vote due to a disagreement between the National Assembly and the Constitutional Council over candidate rejection.