The Head of State is keen to organise an inclusive process of dialogue and consultation before setting a date for the presidential election.

The communiqué from the Council of Ministers states that « the President of the Republic referred to decision no. 1/C/2024 of 15 February 2024 of the Constitutional Council and the finalisation of the electoral process, asking the Minister of the Interior to take all necessary steps, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance and the Budget, the Cena and the administrative authorities, to ensure that the presidential election is properly organised on a date to be set very shortly ». According to the document, this date should be set « after consultations with political players, civil society leaders and representatives of the forces vives of the nation ».

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Many people relied on the « without delay » suggested by the Constitutional Council to think that the Head of State would make up his mind as quickly as possible. However, according to the government press release, President Macky Sall has not yet shelved his idea of dialogue. It states quite clearly: « The President of the Republic has also reaffirmed his commitment to an inclusive process of consultation and dialogue in order to build consensus around national reconciliation, appeasement and pacification of the public sphere with a view to consolidating political, economic and social stability ». This statement should make Karim Wade and his party, the Pds, feel better.

It is as if President Sall has not taken into account the fact that the entire electoral process should be completed by 2 April 2024 at the latest, i.e. in exactly 40 days’ time. Will this deadline be met, given that no one knows the date of the first round, and therefore, possibly, the disputes to come?

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It is hard to believe that the Head of State is trying to waffle and dawdle, given that « in his capacity as guardian of the Constitution and guarantor of the rule of law, he has launched an appeal to all of the nation’s active forces to establish the influence of our democracy, as well as the credibility of our institutions and the electoral process ». So he knows perfectly well that the influence of our democracy depends, at the moment, on scrupulous respect for the deadlines set by the Constitutional Council for organising the election. And that depends on him alone.

By Mohamed GUEYE / mgueye@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH