Presidential election: Activists accuse Macky Sall of leading Senegal to political instability

A group of civil society activists says President Macky Sall is leading Senagal towards political instability after the postponement of the country’s election.

On Monday, Senegal’s parliament voted “overwhelmingly” in support of the postponement of the February 25 presidential election to December 15.

Despite the disapproval of the postponement by the opposition party, 105 lawmakers voted in support of the election delay, while only one was against it.

The vote came after the president postponed the election “indefinitely” over issues arising from the “candidates list”.

The development further deepened the political crisis in the French-speaking country.

As part of a plan to stop protests and growing frustration, the Senegalese government cut off access to the internet in the country and restored connectivity 48 hours later.

Sall’s second term officially ends on April 2, but after the lawmakers’ vote, his tenure has now been extended until after the election, sparking rumours of a “constitutional coup”.

However, the president has reiterated that he would not seek a third term.

Reacting to the development in a statement on Wednesday, the activists who described themselves as “African Intellectuals” said the postponement of the election was a clear violation of the rule of law and the democratic rights of the Senegalese people.

“It is also in violation of the African Union Charter, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; and the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which Senegal has acceded to and domesticated,” the statement reads.

The group said Sall’s constant reiteration of a lack of desire to seek a third term is a ruse to deceive citizens and continue his rule.

“It is for this reason that he has deployed the police to brutally stop all demonstrations, close down the internet and continue to use the justice system to jail and intimidate all those who oppose his ambition to continue to rule using extra constitutional means,” the statement added.

“President Sall is taking Senegal down the path of political instability, lawlessness and civil unrest and all democratic forces in Africa and the world should converge in a united struggle to stop the drift and maintain Senegal within its democratic tradition.

“We call on the Senegalese people to maintain their dogged struggle for the preservation of democracy. This is a common struggle for all Africans and democratic forces.”

The group also urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN) to openly declare Sall’s actions, alongside those of the “rogue legislators”, unconstitutional and demand for an immediate return to the constitutional order and scheduled election timeframe.

Regional commissions and countries, including ECOWAS and the United States, have since condemned the postponement of the Senegal presidential election.