After more than two months without a mayor, the town of Sandiara has finally found a mayor. These are Aliou Gning, head of Apr and Bby, until now 1st deputy of the municipality of Sandiara, who was acting in replacement of the resigning mayor, Dr Serigne Guèye Diop. The election of the new mayor took place yesterday in Sandiara and he came in first with 40 votes out of the 55 voters ahead of Mouhamed Faye, member of the Pastef party and close to the resigning mayor, 14 votes, and Khadim Tine, head of the Apr, 1 vote.

The commune of Sandiara has its new mayor, Aliou Gning, an Apr and Bby official who has been acting mayor since June 9. The new mayor received 40 votes out of 55 cast. His successor, Mouhamed Faye, a member of the Pastef party and close associate of the resigning mayor, Serigne Guèye Diop, received 14 votes, while Khadim Tine, an Apr leader, closed the race with 1 vote.

These results enable Aliou Gning, who was 1st deputy mayor, to complete the mandate begun by Dr Serigne Guèye, who resigned as mayor following his appointment as Minister of Industry and Trade in the new government.

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This resignation left the commune without a mayor for over two months. In fact, the interim mayor was delayed by administrative delays. The mayor, Dr Serigne Guèye Diop, had sent his letter of resignation to the Minister of Territories a while ago. His resignation was prompted by the Head of State’s decision to ban the holding of multiple offices. As a result, the outgoing mayor, who has been appointed Minister of Industry and Trade, was obliged to relinquish his mayoral office. While awaiting the return of this letter, which was sent to the Governor of the Thiès region, the Prefect of the Mbour department and the sub-prefect of Sessène with a view to installing the 1st deputy mayor as interim, things were delayed, creating a dysfunction at Sandiara town hall where everything was at a standstill.

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Finally, on June 9, the Minister of Urban Planning, Territories and Regional Development notified the acceptance of Dr. Serigne Guèye Diop’s resignation as mayor of the commune of Sandiara. The sub-prefect of Sessène, Richard Biram Faye, issued the notification, which made Aliou Gning the interim mayor of the Sandiara commune.

By Alioune Badara CISS / abciss@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH