Senegal's opposition candidate Bachirou Diomai Fay appeared close to victory in presidential polls in the early hours of Monday after years of unrest and political crisis, while the ruling coalition He said he was certain he would vote twice.
Whoever takes the top job will lead Senegal, seen as a bellwether of democracy in coup-hit West Africa, out of its recent woes and control revenues from oil and gas reserves that will soon come into production. You will have a mission.
Uncertainty reigns over the outcome of the poll, with official results not expected to be announced until the end of this week, with an absolute majority needed to win in the first round.
Fay, the opposition party, promised voters significant change and a left-wing Pan-African presidential plan.
Preliminary results from various polling stations published by local media and social networks show that he has a clear lead over former Prime Minister Amadou Bah of his ruling coalition.
read moreSenegalese presidential election: A look at the four main candidates
At least seven of the presidential candidates congratulated Fay in light of early signs from the ongoing vote count.
“Congratulations to Basilou Diomai Faye on her undoubted victory,” Anta Babakar Ngom, the only female candidate, posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Dessie Fall congratulated Fay on her “stunning victory, clearly achieved in view of the very strong tendencies emerging.”
Mr. Fay, 44, and Mr. Ba, 62, both former national tax inspectors, had emerged as favorites to win the race among 17 candidates.
Late Sunday, hundreds of people gathered at Fay's campaign headquarters in the capital, Dakar, singing and dancing to the sound of horns and drums.
Young people on motorbikes marched through the streets shouting, “To the (presidential) palace!”
The atmosphere among the dozens of supporters at Ba's headquarters became even more somber.
However, a senior Ba campaign official said that according to experts, “in the worst-case scenario, there will definitely be a second round.”
He also accused Fay's camp of attempting to “manipulate” him.
“It is inevitable that Senegal will fall into a populist adventure,” the statement added.
“Choice for Change”
A victory for the opposition party Fay could signal the beginning of regime reform in Senegal.
The opposition figure promised to restore the country's “sovereignty,” fight corruption and distribute wealth more equitably.
He also promised that Senegal would start producing hydrocarbons later this year and would renegotiate mining, gas and oil contracts with foreign companies.
read moreHow Senegal's presidential election was postponed, revived and brought forward
“I remain confident in my choice of change, which I can embody better than any other candidate,” Fay said during Sunday's vote.
Meanwhile, Barr has been floated as a candidate to succeed outgoing President Macky Sall.
Both candidates argued that they were the best candidates for young people in a country where half the population is under 20.
“I voted for Diomaie without thinking,” shop owner Dearaf Gay, 26, said earlier in the day.
“The time has come for young people to take power and for this country to begin building a new foothold.”
“Finally, we've arrived.”
Senegal was originally scheduled to vote on February 25, but an 11th-hour delay caused by monkeys triggered the worst political crisis in decades, leaving four people dead.
Some 7.3 million Senegalese were eligible to vote on Sunday.
Voters quietly lined up outside polling stations, many rising early and praying before dawn before heading straight to the polls.
“We're finally there. God be praised,” said Mita Diop, a 51-year-old trader. “The recent situation has not been easy for Senegal, which has experienced some upheaval.”
Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from standing due to a defamation conviction, said young people had come to vote in “huge numbers”.
read moreSenegal elections: Unemployment is a priority for young voters
“At the end of today, I am confident that at the end of today, victory will be spectacular,” Sonko said while voting in his southern stronghold of Ziguinchor, referring to Fay, who he supports as his running mate.
Hundreds of observers from civil society, the African Union, the ECOWAS regional group and the European Union participated.
Malin Björk, head of the EU delegation, said the vote took place “calmly, efficiently and in a (very) orderly manner”.
After weeks of confusion, Senegal's highest constitutional body was forced to reject Sall's attempt to delay the vote until December and reset the date to March 24. The result was a rushed campaign that clashed with Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month.
Barr and Sall's hand-picked successors will carry on Sall's legacy of mass arrests, persistent poverty, 20% unemployment and thousands of immigrants setting off on perilous voyages to Europe each year. Become.
Since 2021, dozens of people have been killed and hundreds arrested in several unrest caused in part by firebrand Sonko's conflict with the state.
(AFP)
