Karim Wade, the unsuccessful candidate in the 2024 presidential election, remains the big loser in the new situation regarding the holding of this ballot. Under his initiative, the Liberty, Democracy and Change parliamentary group had obtained the postponement of the presidential election to 15 December 2024, before the Constitutional Council annulled this decision yesterday.

The Constitutional Council’s decision to cancel the postponement of the presidential election has not made everyone happy. The main loser in this situation is the unsuccessful Pds candidate, Karim Wade. After having inspired the Liberty, Democracy and Change parliamentary group to such an extent that it obtained from the National Assembly the amendment to article 31 of the Constitution, which led to the postponement of the presidential ballot to 15 December 2024, Karim Wade finds himself deprived of any further chance to take part in the race for the presidency of the Republic. Many of his supporters were optimistic that their leader, Wade’s son, would take part in the new electoral date set by Parliament. An electoral date cancelled yesterday by the « Wise Men ».

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Other losers are the candidates who claim to have been « robbed ». Through press conferences, rallies and other protest demonstrations, they were also nurturing the hope of getting back into the game. Some even went so far as to call for the participation of all candidates (successful, unsuccessful and robbed) in the new elections. Mimi Touré, Bougane Guèye Dany, Alioune Sarr, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio and others based their optimism on the new situation created by the Head of State and the National Assembly.

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The final case is that of Rose Wardini. She has been charged and placed under judicial supervision, after being accused of holding dual nationality. The « Wise Men » did not mention her situation in their decision. What will happen to her participation in the presidential election once the new date has been set? The members of the Constitutional Council should be able to enlighten the public about her situation, given that the Public Prosecutor’s Office took the matter into its own hands following the accusations of dual nationality made against Ms Wardini.

By Mamadou T. DIATTA / mdiatta@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH