After the National Dialogue Political Commission, the deputies adopted, this Saturday, the government text to allow Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade to be candidates for the Presidential election of 2024.

Fruit of the consensus obtained by the actors of the national dialogue, the deputies of the presidential majority and those of the Senegalese Democratic Party (Pds) and Taxawu Senegaal highlighted in their successive interventions, the importance of the national dialogue launched by President Macky Sall with the various segments of the Nation in a context of political tension. For Nafissatou Diallo, the deputy secretary general in charge of communication of the Pds, dialogue is better than shooting yourself. And she rejects any idea that suggests that this dialogue was a deal. “In societies under construction, there have always been dialogues between politicians. And it is normal for the Pds to respond to the dialogue launched by the President of the Republic to discuss and not block the country. We are not enemies, maybe political adversaries. So, if the President calls for a dialogue, why refuse? » she argued, recalling that the dialogue also acted on the review of Karim Wade’s trial.

Karim Wade and Khalifa Sall, the Fear of Being Candidates

Speaking of the reform, she felt that the revision does not concern Karim Wade who, she says, has already regained his eligibility since August 2020. “But since it is a consolidating law, we voted for it”.

A memorable August 5 for the 2Ks

The vote took place after long hours of debate in a heavy atmosphere. Member of Parliament for Taxawu Senegaal, Abba Mbaye will say that this August 5 is a great day for the « Khalifists ». According to him, the road has been long. They experienced real moments of happiness but also moments of misfortune. “When we won in 2014, it was magnificent. When Khalifa Sall 

came out of prison, it was magnificent. But when we saw buried Palla Samb, mayor of Fann-Point E, and Idrissa Diallo, our national representative and sponsorship coordinator, those were difficult times. But we understood that politics is a matter of responsibility and ethics. And, we are still working to help each other,” the MP explained.  In his opinion, when Khalifa and Karim were condemned, Senegalese democracy lost its bearings and its regulation. He specifies that today, there is a kind of unprecedented violence and extreme radicalism in the political space. So, to concretize the corrections (Karim and Khalifa), they went to dialogue.

Abba Mbaye also sent a message to its leader, the former mayor of Dakar. “Khalifa, we are with you and we want you to be the People’s Candidate. Let us have no illusions. We took hits, we suffered, because we know you deserve it. We have suffered, but do not be deluded. We belong to this generation that aspires to real change in this country,” he said. Abba Mbaye says he does not believe in these young people who think that we must break the system or overturn the table.

TAS talks about Stockholm syndrome
As for Thierno Alassane Sall, a non-aligned deputy, he did not vote for the bill which reinstates the two major political actors, leaving Ousmane Sonko stranded. According to TAS, the modifications seem to solve “individual” problems at the end of an “exclusive” dialogue. “Everyone welcomes the reintroduction of the case of Karim and Khalifa, while excluding others,” denounced the president of the party The Republic of Valeus (Rv). TAS estimated that, when we had to manage public funds and that we have problems, we cannot manage the State of Senegal. Therefore, he regrets that deputies attack him individually on the subject. “These people were in the same coalition. They fought together for years, they cried conspiracy for years, they swore they wouldn’t let each other down for years. The sense of honour and ethics would have wanted, instead of attacking me, instead of praising Macky Sall, as they say the Stockholm syndrome (hostages who fall in love with their captor), it is me they are attacking. It was not me who left him,” explains the non-aligned deputy.

By Ousmane SOW

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH