The Senegalese head of state Macky Sall announced on Monday, February 26, in the midst of a serious crisis related to the postponement of the presidential elections, a law of general amnesty for facts related to the unrest that his country has experienced since 2021 “In the interest of national reconciliation, I will present to the National Assembly this Wednesday in the Council of Ministers a bill for a general amnesty on the facts related to political demonstrations between 2021 and 2024,” said the Senegalese President, opening consultations to reach an agreement on the day of the presidential election, in Diamniadio , near Dakar.
“This will help calm the political space and further strengthen our national cohesion,” he said. He reiterated his desire to organize presidential elections by June and July, while a large front is demanding this before April 2. “My will and my most fervent wish is to hold the presidential election as quickly as possible and before winter [la saison des pluies] next and in peace,” he said. He then reiterated his determination to leave the presidency on the official expiry date of his mandate, April 2, declaring: “In convening this dialogue, my only concern is to find a consensus on the date of the next presidential election, so that the Voting takes place.” Place under the best conditions. »
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Mr. Sall gave himself two days, Monday and Tuesday, to reach a “consensus” on the date of the presidential election. However, these consultations, entitled “National Dialogue”, are taking place with a few hundred political leaders, religious leaders and representatives of civil society, although in the absence of some of the protagonists of the crisis, starting with seventeen of the nineteen candidates selected in January for the presidential election by the Constitutional Council.
Hundreds of opponents were released ten days ago
A number of Mr Sall's rivals went to the Constitutional Court on Monday, asking its members to formally declare that the head of state had failed in his duty to organize the presidential election. One of them, Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, sees this “national dialogue” as a “theater” that the head of state could have organized “at the Grand Théâtre” in Dakar.
Since 2021, hundreds of people have been arrested and prosecuted on various charges. Among them are leading political figures, including anti-system activist Ousmane Sonko, who is at the center of the agitation, and his deputy, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, presidential candidate. Hundreds of opponents were released ten days ago.
Various actors also opposed such an amnesty law, fearing that it would nullify the acts of which government or security officials are accused. They rejected as a trap the idea that this amnesty was part of the consultations aimed at reaching an agreement on the date of the presidential elections.
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“Constitutional coup”
President Macky Sall caused a shockwave on February 3 when he ordered a last-minute postponement of the election. The opposition denounced a “constitutional coup.” The suppressed demonstrations left four people dead and dozens of arrests. However, the Constitutional Council vetoed the postponement. He noted that it would be impossible to hold the presidential elections on February 25 and called on the authorities to organize them “as soon as possible.”
A broad political and civic front formed to demand that the elections take place before April 2nd. The citizens' collective Aar Sunu Election (“Let us preserve our election”) is calling for a day of “dead cities” across the country and a general strike on Tuesday.
This front is concerned about the consequences of a presidential vacancy without an established succession. Macky Sall himself expressed doubts about the feasibility of an election before his departure. Others accuse him of playing for time, either to give his side an advantage because it would look bad for him in the presidential election, or to stay in power beyond April 2. They fear that the “dialogue” will be used to re-examine the applications.
President Macky Sall, elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2019, is not a candidate. He justified the postponement of the presidential election with fears that a disputed election would lead to new outbreaks of violence after the events in 2021 and 2023.
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