Senegal's parliament on February 5 voted to hold a postponed presidential election on December 15 in the face of public outcry that led some opposition lawmakers to blockade proceedings until security forces intervened.
The move follows President Macky Sall's unprecedented announcement of a postponement on February 3 that pitched the West African nation into uncharted constitutional waters and threatens to further tarnish its reputation as a bastion of democratic stability in a region swept by coups.
The last-minute amendment to postpone the election to December rather than August is likely to provoke further opposition backlash and risk a repeat of violent protests that have broken out over the past three years partly over Sall's alleged authoritarian overreach.
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