President Macky Sall’s decision not to seek a third term as Senegal’s head of state has thrown open the country’s presidential election, ending widespread speculation over his political future that helped fuel deadly protests last month.
And Congolese opposition leader Martin Fayulu twitted a congratulatory message to Sall and the Senegalese stating that democracy had prevailed in the west African nation.
Rumours that Sall would try to extend his more than a decade-long rule have stoked unrest in the West African country, shaking its reputation as a bastion of stability in an otherwise turbulent region.
Prior to the president’s speech, top opposition leader Ousmane Sonko had called for fresh demonstrations if Sall were to announce a re-election bid in February of next year.
The 61-year-old leader had previously remained coy about his ambitions, stoking tensions over whether he would use a constitutional revision to bypass the country’s two-term limit.
In a speech carried live on his official Facebook page on Monday, he maintained that Senegal’s constitution would have allowed his candidacy despite having already been elected to a second term in 2019.
Rumours that Sall would try to extend his more than a decade-long rule have stoked unrest in the West African country, shaking its reputation as a bastion of stability in an otherwise turbulent region.
Prior to the president’s speech, top opposition leader Ousmane Sonko had called for fresh demonstrations if Sall were to announce a re-election bid in February of next year.
The 61-year-old leader had previously remained coy about his ambitions, stoking tensions over whether he would use a constitutional revision to bypass the country’s two-term limit.
In a speech carried live on his official Facebook page on Monday, he maintained that Senegal’s constitution would have allowed his candidacy despite having already been elected to a second term in 2019.
CREDIT: France24
