Senegal sets delayed parliamentary polls for June 3
March 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment
DAKAR (Reuters) - Senegal will hold long-delayed legislative elections on June 3, the government said on Tuesday, with newly reelected President Abdoulaye Wade hoping to maintain his parliamentary majority.
"The legislative elections are fixed for June 3, 2007," Interior Minister Ousmane Ngom told a news conference in the capital Dakar.
The polls were originally set for May 2006, but Wade pushed them back in 2005 after Senegal’s worst rains in decades destroyed thousands of homes. He said the postponement would save money which could be used to aid flood victims.
The opposition accused him of trying to buy time because he feared he would lose his parliamentary majority.
The polls were postponed for a second time in January after the West African country’s constitutional court upheld an opposition appeal against a decree from Wade which had altered the way in which parliamentary seats were shared out.
Wade won a comfortable first-round victory in presidential polls on February 25 with 56 percent of votes, nearly four times as much as his nearest rival.
But the opposition Socialist party lodged an appeal with the constitutional court on Monday calling for the annulment of the polls because of what it called voting irregularities.
The president, who is in his 80s and has ruled since 2000, has credited his victory to strong support in rural areas which he said were ignored by the opposition.
Monitors from West Africa’s regional organisation ECOWAS said the vote was sufficiently free and fair, although Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres said state media gave Wade and his campaign overwhelming coverage.
Africa Update: Darfur, Senegal Elections
March 3, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Listen to this story… by Tony Cox and Charlayne Hunter-Gault
News & Notes, March 2, 2007 · Charges are brought by the Hague on two Sudanese men over possible crimes in Darfur; and a look at elections in Senegal.
Analysts Ponder Senegal President’s Legacy
March 3, 2007 | Leave a Comment
By Phuong Tran, Dakar
02 March 2007
President Abdoulaye Wade was declared the winner of Senegal’s presidential election late Thursday, giving him five more years in power. Analysts are already speculating about his second term as well as the octogenarian president’s legacy.
Mr. Wade’s campaign slogan was that he needed more time to finish first-term projects. He said higher salaries and steady growth were reasons to keep him in power.
But his opponents said his seven years in office were long enough, pointing to worsening energy problems, a climate of intimidation against political opponents, unfinished construction projects, and boatloads of unemployed men risking their lives at sea to search for work in Europe.
Political science professor Yoro Dia at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar says Mr. Wade had many problems in his first term because he was too busy being a politician, rather than a statesman. His second term may an opportunity to polish his image for the history books.
"Now he is re-elected, he will be free from daily politics and he will be knocking on history’s door," said Professor. Dia.
The professor says Mr. Wade is fascinated by post-independence presidents Leopold Sedar Senghor and Abdou Diouf who were in power four decades. Dia says Mr. Wade has been obsessed with how to stay in power, after his three decades fighting in the opposition and five failed presidential attempts.
Dia says the president, secure in his second and last term, can now think about his legacy.
"[Former President Leopold Sedar] Senghor has his place in history as someone who built the nation, [former President Abdou] Diouf has his place in history as someone who built the state, and now me, Abdoulaye Wade, what is my place in history?" added Dia.
Director of the Superior Institute of Information Sciences and Communication School in Dakar, Abdou Latif Coulibaly says Mr. Wade’s political instincts are autocratic.
"He uses the rules of democracy to come to power, but when he is in power, he thinks these rules are not good for the Senegalese people and he has to break all these rules and break all the arms that help him to come to power," he said.
Following the electoral commission’s announcement of his victory Thursday night, Mr. Wade vowed to pursue corruption charges against some of his opponents. He said Senegal’s laws must be defended.
Mr. Wade has dismissed accusations of fraud as lies by journalists, and factually incorrect. He also says Senegal has never been more democratic than under his presidency.
But Coulibaly says power is the only shield Mr. Wade has against prosecution, and that his legacy will be a corrupt one. There are persistent questions over how Mr. Wade is spending new construction funds, and why close friends, and his son, have been given important positions in managing these funds.
"He himself knows he is not clean," he added. "Because today he is the president, no one can put him in jail. But when he loses power, he will be in jail I am sure."
Coulibaly wrote a critical biography of Mr. Wade in 2003 called An Opposition Leader Reaches Power, the Danger of Political Change that is banned in Senegal, and is available only in France.
Meanwhile, organizations that want to see Mr. Wade pursue their objectives are already jostling for attention.
A Chadian human rights non-profit group recently asked him to speed up the trial in Senegal of Chad’s former ruler, Hissene Habre, who is charged with crimes against humanity. The group wrote that Mr. Wade’s second mandate will be crowned a success if the case is heard.
Mr. Wade did not mention this at the news conference Thursday. He promised to quickly build a new airport and technology university. He also said journalists should have never doubted his first-round victory for a second term, which constitutionally, should be his last.
Senegal’s President Elected to 2nd Term by Wide Edge
March 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment
By LYDIA POLGREEN
Published: March 2, 2007
DAKAR, Senegal, March 1 — President Abdoulaye Wade easily won a second term, electoral officials in Senegal announced Thursday, beating his 14 opponents in the first round of voting with nearly 56 percent of the 3.4 million votes cast in Sunday’s election.
It was a decisive victory for the president, who won despite the electorate’s deep malaise over Senegal’s economy, allegations about corruption and mismanagement in his administration and concerns that at 80, Mr. Wade was simply too old to serve another term. The presidential term, which was seven years, has been shortened to five years.
His popularity was big enough to win outright, averting a runoff. His nearest rival, a former ally and prime minister, Idrissa Seck, had slightly less than 15 percent of the vote, and the candidate of the Socialist Party, which ruled Senegal for 40 years until Mr. Wade took office in 2000, won just 14 percent.
“The Senegalese people have spoken,” Mr. Wade said in a news conference here late on Thursday. “Their future is now.”
But he spent the better part of an hour lambasting the news media and his opponents. He accused the press of being too negative about his record and warned that several of his fellow candidates might soon find themselves being prosecuted for corruption and other offenses, saying the government had compiled files on them.
“The law is harsh, but it is the law,” he declared.
Because the government banned opinion polls before the vote, it was difficult to gauge in advance Mr. Wade’s popularity or the challenge posed by his opponents.
Senegal is one of the most stable countries in West Africa, a longtime democracy that has never experienced a military coup and has largely avoided the grim ethnic and religious conflicts that have engulfed its neighbors. Elections are usually genteel affairs, but this campaign season has been marked by tension, accusations of fraud and even violence.
The country’s highest court must certify the results. Opposition parties have said they plan to mount legal challenges to the vote.
Observers from Ecowas, a regional trade alliance, declared that the vote had been free and fair, but opposition parties complained of improprieties. Some alleged that voter cards were denied to supporters of opposition candidates. The supposedly indelible ink used to mark the fingers of voters washed off easily, leading to accusations that supporters of Mr. Wade had been allowed to vote more than once.
Reporters Without Borders, an international organization that monitors freedom of the press, said in a report released last week that the state-owned media had heavily favored Mr. Wade in its coverage.
At the news conference, Mr. Wade dismissed charges of electoral fraud. “A more transparent election does not exist,” he said.
Mr. Wade was swept into office seven years ago largely because of the support of young people, who were mostly jobless and forgotten in the stagnant, managed economy of the Socialist Party. An economic liberal who had been an opposition party leader for decades, Mr. Wade promised to jump-start the economy with large-scale public works projects, like new highways, a second airport and a new capital city.
Mr. Wade was instrumental in the creation of Nepad, a good-government group of African countries that agreed to have their political and economic records scrutinized to promote better governing practices and encourage investment.
But unemployment has remained high, and many voters expressed frustration that economic growth in the country had not trickled down to the poor. Many of the promised projects only recently began, as the election approached.
Senegal’s Wade re-elected president
March 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Workers putting up posters of Abdoulaye Wade
March 01, 2007, 21:15
Abdoulaye Wade, the Senegalese president has easily won re-election to a second term with nearly 56 percent of votes in Sunday’s high-turnout election, according to provisional results announced today. The octogenarian president, known as "the hare" for his wily political cunning, won nearly four times as many votes as his nearest rival.
Cheikh Tidiane Diakhate, head of the National Vote Counting Commission, said that of 3 419 755 valid votes cast, Wade had received 1 910 368 or 55. 86 percent. Turnout was a high 70.5 percent.
Idrissa Seck, Wade’s estranged former prime minister came second, trailing with 14. 93 percent, followed by Ousmane Tanor Dieng of the Socialist Party, the main opposition, with 13. 57 percent. The results, which must still be reviewed and confirmed by the Constitutional Council, confirm figures released unofficially earlier this week.
In central Dakar’s Sandaga market, run largely by members of the fervently pro-Wade Mouride brotherhood, the reaction was muted. "If it had been the Socialists who had won, people would have been celebrating. But as Wade was already in place we are still in the same rhythm … so nothing has changed," said Malick Diouf (28) who sells televisions in the market.
Opposition to challenge results
Opposition parties, some of which say they have evidence of fraud and will challenge Wade’s victory, have three days to lodge objections to the results. Dieng’s campaign has said it had evidence of a plot to rig the vote, and on Tuesday displayed voter cards bearing the same name as proof that some people were able to vote twice in the election.
Other opposition parties have complained that supposedly indelible ink used to mark voters’ fingers to prevent multiple ballots in fact washed off.
Monitors from Ecowas, the West Africa’s regional organisation said the vote was sufficiently free and fair, although Sans Frontieres, the Paris-based media watchdog Reporters said state media gave Wade and his campaign overwhelming coverage. - Reuters.
Senegal’s Wade re-elected, warns opposition
March 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Fri Mar 2, 2007 8:32 AM GMT29
By Diadie Ba
DAKAR (Reuters) - Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade comfortably won a second term in Sunday’s election, results showed on Thursday, and he warned opposition leaders they could now face corruption probes suspended during the poll campaign.
The octogenarian president, who has ruled the West African state since 2000, won nearly 56 percent of votes and almost four times as many as his nearest rival.
Senegal’s National Vote Counting Commission said that of 3.4 million valid votes cast, Wade had received 1.9 million, or 55.9 percent. Turnout was a high 70.5 percent.
Wade’s estranged former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck, who he briefly jailed on corruption charges in 2005, came second with 14.9 percent. He was followed by Ousmane Tanor Dieng of the main opposition Socialist Party, with 13.6 percent.
"With my score, I don’t need anyone to govern: I am walking on clouds. However, I call on the opposition to consider what we can do together," Wade told a news conference in the presidential palace, lambasting the media for doubting him.
The results, which must be confirmed by the Constitutional Council, are in line with unofficial figures released this week.
Wade accused Seck of holding millions of dollars in bank accounts and suggested Tanor Dieng might be linked to corrupt fishing licences under the previous Socialist government.
While cautioning against any witch-hunt, Wade said: "Now justice must run its course."
Wade credited his easy victory to overwhelming support in rural areas. He said it would be his last term as president.
THREE DAYS TO APPEAL
Opposition parties, some of which say they have evidence of fraud and will challenge Wade’s victory, have three days to lodge objections to the results.
Dieng’s campaign has said it had evidence of a plot to rig the vote, and on Tuesday displayed voter cards bearing the same name as proof that some people were voted twice in the election.
Other opposition parties have complained that supposedly indelible ink used to mark voters’ fingers in fact washed off.
Monitors from West Africa’s regional organisation ECOWAS said the vote was sufficiently free and fair, although Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres said state media gave Wade and his campaign overwhelming coverage.
Wade’s critics say he has failed to deliver on promises to improve living standards in the former French colony, most of whose nearly 12 million people live from farming and fishing.
They point to the drama of thousands of desperate young Senegalese who have been risking their lives in flimsy fishing boats to try to reach Europe via the Spanish Canary Islands.
Wade appealed to voters to repeat their choice in parliamentary elections in June.
"I congratulate those who voted for me and I ask them to give me a comfortable parliamentary majority to allow me to take all decisions without negotiation," Wade said, as a crowd of cheering supporters gathered outside the presidential palace.
In Dakar’s Sandaga market, run largely by members of the pro-Wade Mouride Islamic brotherhood, the reaction was muted.
"If it had been the Socialists who had won, people would have been celebrating. But as Wade was already in place we are still in the same rhythm … so nothing has changed," said Malick Diouf, 28, who sells televisions in the market.
Others welcomed the decision to give Wade more time.
"He has worked hard for the country, despite the fact that life here is hard. He has started to build things and he’s increased state salaries and pensions," said Adama Kane, 60, who sells cloth in Sandaga market.
Senegal: Wade Brims With Confidence
March 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment
FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
March 1, 2007
Posted to the web March 2, 2007
Baboucarr Ceesay
Dakar
OFFICIAL RESULTS PENDING
After casting his vote at point E, Dakar, Wade swaggered that there will be no second round. He said "I am optimistic and I think that I will win in the first round. I think so because there is a great mobilization being done. I hope that I will register success". Wade made these remarks in the presence of his son, Karim, and his wife, Viviane, as journalists from the national and international press jostled for photos and words from the tired looking candidate of Sopi 2007. He wore a grand boubou (light blue), the colour of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS).
His supporters applauded him and chanted ‘Gorgui! Gorgui!’ (the old man, in wollof).
Some voters in Ngorr and Ouakam complained of being bared from voting despite holding valid voters’ cards. They said they were barred because their names were not found in the voters’ list. They said that they were disenfranchised.
Some polling stations in Dakar opened later than the prescribed time for the closure of polling (6pm). The electoral officers allowed the voters to continue voting. The huge voter turn out was responsible for the extension of the voting period.
Votes were counted on the spot and so far the provisional result reveals that Abdoulaye Wade scored more votes than the rest of the candidates in Dakar Plateau, Pikine, Mbao, Parcelles Assainies and the interior part of the country such as Kolda, Ziguinchor, Saint-Louis and the surroundings.
However, information transmitted from Italy to Dakar reveals that Wade has the upper hand in the polls. In Brescia, the first 3 polling stations whose results reached Senegal showed that Wade is leading with 866 votes out of the 1167 votes cast, out of 1787 registered voters, followed by Idrissa Seck who polled 144 votes, and the socialist candidate, Ousmane Tanor Dieng who got 57 votes. Reports, however, have it that Wade won in Turin, Bergamo, Bologna, Vicenza and Milan, always followed by Idrissa Seck and Ousmane Tanor Dieng.
In Bambay out of 75,435 registered voters, 50,895 cast their votes, out of which Abdoulaye Wade polled 33,000 votes, Abdoulaye Bathily 862, Mamadou Lamine Diallo 280, Robert Sagna 294, Cheikh Bamba Dieye 201, Mam Adama Geuye 147, Talla Sylla 153, Idrissa Seck 9031, Ousman Tanor Dieng 4111, Louis Jacques Senghor 136, Moustapha Niasse 1127, Modou Dia 74, Landing Savane 1222, Alioune Petit Mbaye 102 and Dodou Ndoye 153 votes.
According to the provisional results of the twelve areas Bambay, Diourbel, Gossas, Kolda, Linguerre, Ranerou, Kael, Matam, St. Louis, Kedougou, Oussouye and Ziguinchor, Wade has defeated his opponents throughout, leading with or securing 61.06% of the votes and is followed by the following candidates, Ousman Tanor Dieng with 10.25%, Idrissa Seck 9.62% Robert Sagna 6.06% and Mustapha Niasse 5.49%.
In a related development, sources close to the electoral commission said the final results for the Sunday 25th February, 2007 would be released officially not later than Friday 30th February 2007.
Supporters of Wade were seen in the city of Dakar with their Sopi T-shirts as if they are rehearsing for jubilation.
Landing Savane congratulated Wade and said he accepted the results while Talla Sylla said he did not dispute the results. Abdoulaye Bathiley, on his part, stated that the result of the election is not a reflection of the state of mind of the Senegalese people and did not show the real weight of his Coalition Jubanti Senegal.
Senegal: Wanep Declares Election Free And Fair
March 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment
FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
March 1, 2007
Posted to the web March 2, 2007
The West Africa Network of Peace Building (WANEP) Gambia has declared the recently concluded Senegalese presidential elections as free, fair and transparent. This is contained in a preliminary report it issued on 25th February in which it states: "Following our observations in a number of polling stations, and our assessment of the general environment and the media reports we have monitored, we have reached the conclusion that the 25th February 2007 Presidential Elections in Senegal were free, fair and transparent."
According to the statement, the final results of the election reflect the true wish of the people. "We wish to also urge the people and the leaders and political parties as well as the civil society of Senegal to continue to nurture a solid democratic culture and human rights in order to ensure sustainable peace and development," the report concluded.
The report also expressed concerns, particularly the late start of the elections. It noted that in order to avoid the need to extend the voting period, it is important to ensure that polling starts at the stated time.
The report talks about many voters who have not received their voters’ cards on time, and some even up to the final moments of the closing of polls. It described this to be grossly unfair and undemocratic as it denied citizens the right and ability to exercise their civic responsibilities.
It went on to note that the voting process was also slow which they found to be attributable to the fact that there were many candidates and the process of voting was complex. In a way it requires some form of literacy or intense voter education. WANEP thus recommends that the voting process be reviewed in order to make it less complex and easy to understand so as to make the process smooth.
West Africa Network for Peace building (WANEP) Gambia is a chapter of the sub-regional organisation aimed at promoting peace, human rights and good governance and sustainable development.
Senegal: Senegalese High Commissioner On the Presidential Election
March 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment
FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
March 1, 2007
Posted to the web March 2, 2007
The Senegalese High Commissioner to the Gambia, Momodou Fall, has informed journalists that President Abdoulaye Wade has polled 4533 votes out of the total number of 6500 votes cast by the Senegalese electorate in the Gambia.
Fall made this statement at a press conference held at his residence in Banjul. Briefing journalists, Fall said the elections were organised by the state and supervised by "Commission Electorale Nationale Autonome" (CENA). He said the High Commissioner is mandated to reveal the provisional results. He noted that there is an amendment to the Senegalese Constitution in 1992, and this is why the Senegalese Supreme Court is no longer responsible for the validation of election results.
Africa 2007
He said it is the constitutional council that is responsible for the validation of election results. He noted that it is the constitutional council that will validate the results of the Presidential elections. He noted that the Senegalese Constitution allows Senegalese living abroad to vote in elections.
According to him, the elections were held in a peaceful atmosphere. He said the Gambia government gave them authority to hold elections in the country.
"The government has to grant us permission to hold elections in the Gambia. The government provided us with security. The elections were held in 17 polling centres, (in 70 polling stations). Six thousand and five hundred people voted in the Gambia, and out of this number, 4533 people voted for Abdoulaye Wade. This figure represents about 70% of the total number of votes cast. Abdoulaye Wade won in 68 polling stations.
Tanor Jeng won in 2 polling stations, he remarked.
He said no incidence was reported throughout the elections. He said Abdoulaye Wade did not win in any of the polling stations in the Gambia in the year 2000. He said all the actors have agreed that the elections were transparent.
Current TV
March 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment
As you may have noticed, we’ve been posting our episodes over at CurrentTV. If you get a chance, please head over there and watch the episodes and vote for them. This could push these episodes onto "real" TV and let more folks in the US know about what is going on in Senegal. We got Episode 1 all the way up to #6!! We’re putting up all the episodes, which may dilute our impact a bit over there, but c’est la vie. We got to get the word out now!
Anyway, head over to watch and vote!
