Senegalese President Macky Sall announced on Saturday the indefinite delay of the presidential election set for February 25, just hours before official campaigning began.
In an address to the nation, Sall stated that he had issued a decree repealing a prior legislation that had set the date while parliament investigated two Constitutional Council judges whose integrity in the election process had been questioned.
“I will begin an open national dialogue to bring together the conditions for a free, transparent, and inclusive election,” Sall said, without providing a new date.
This is the first time Senegal’s presidential election has been postponed.
Sall signed a decree in November 2023 that set the election for February 25, with 20 candidates running but no big opposition figures.
Sall had consistently stated that he will pass over authority to the vote winner in early April.
After stating that he will not seek a third term as president, Sall named Prime Minister Amadou Ba from his party as his successor.
The Constitutional Council has barred dozens of candidates from voting, including Ousmane Sonko, a fiery anti-system symbol, and Karim Wade, the son of former President Abdoulaye Wade.