Senegal’s ex-PM snubs media
January 24, 2007
24 January –
The former
Prime Minister of Senegal remains tight-lipped over the details of his
reconciliation tête-à-tête with President Abdoulaye Wade, despite
promises to brief the media about it on Tuesday. Idrissa Seck, a
popular opposition figure and promising presidential candidate,
according to President Wade had rejoined the ruling party.
But he decides to snub the news-hungry
journalists who remain adamant in their quest to unearth his
unexplained reasons for making a ruling party comeback, especially at
an unexpected time. He had postponed his scheduled news conference sine
die.
President Wade, who is described as a political dinosaur in Senegal, is
luring his political opponents into his ruling Parti Democratique
Senegalaise (PDS) camp one by one. He left people with open mouths on
Monday when he announced that one of his main challengers in the 25
February presidential elections, Idrissa Seck, agreed to sacrifice his
new party, Rewmi and rejoined the PDS.
Mr Seck, the third Prime Minister of the Wade government, was sacked
from his post and jailed for over six months after he was accused of
being corrupt and threatening state security. He was however later
cleared of the charges brought against him.
The ex-PM had all along seen himself as the victim of political
vendetta because his problems with his political father, President
Wade, started immediately he had declared his intention to run
President in 2007 while still serving as Prime Minister.
President Wade is making good use of Mr Seck’s example to urge on the party’s many disintegrated old members to follow suit.
Yesterday, two veteran opposition leaders – Morr Fada Diagne and Jean
Paul Dias of Waar wi ("the Field") coalition and Block Centrisea Gaindé
(BCG) – who had been old members of Mr Wade’s party announced their
reconciliation with the aging President.
Mr Dias was one of the earliest members of PDS but later parted and
created BCG. He was twice jailed by the Wade government, the last for
purportedly threatening President Wade.
Mr Fada on the other hand was a very close political ally of Idrissa
Seck and even became Minister of Environment when the latter was Prime
Minister. He slid back from power when Mr Seck was sacked.
"We discussed in the presence of our delegations," Mr Dias said,
emphasising that their common interest was to defend the interest of
Senegal in general, especially when it faces several problems.
He said since they all belong to one country, there is need for them to
protect the interest of their nation. Thus, political unity was needed
ahead of elections.
It is reported that Mr Fada was lured by President Wade through the
intervention of Madické Niang, current Minister for Energy, Industries
and Mining. Political analysts believed that gauging from his tone, it
would not be difficult for him to return to Mr Wade, the man he had
been supporting since he was 19 years of age. "They are like a father
and son," Dakar resident Mr Tall told afrol News.
By staff writer
Technorati Tags: Senegal, Election, Hip-Hop, Youth, Rap, BBC, NPR, Nomadic, Wax, Notable, Hip-Hop, Documentary, Film, Herson, Cantor, Mcilvaine, Hip-Hop, Democracy, Globalization, Africa, Islam, West Africa, Revolution, New Media, Global Hip-Hop, African Hip-Hop, Benny Beats, Idrissa Seck
Related Posts :
Comments
Got something to say?
