President Macky Sall plunged Senegal into crisis with a last-minute postponement of the presidential poll, originally scheduled for February 25. After a month of uncertainty which sparked outcry at home and abroad, the country’s top constitutional body on March 7 agreed with the presidency for the vote to take place on March 24, before the end of Sall’s mandate.
African Union Commission chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat, saluted “the peaceful resolution of the institutional crisis in Senegal.” He said the decision to hold an election before Sall leaves office on April 2 “reflects the deep-rootedness and resilience of democracy in Senegal, of which Africa has always been proud.”
The traditionally stable West African nation is embarking on potentially its most open presidential vote, with 19 candidates in the first round. The date of the second round has not been announced.
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