By Abubakar Yunusa
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) West Africa has urged the Senegalese government to respect the sanctity of the democratic process.
The center also condemns the postponement of the highly anticipated presidential election in Senegal, originally scheduled for February 25.
Apart from disrupting the timeline for the conduct of elections, this decision represents a clear violation of the rule of law and the democratic rights of the Senegalese people, the center stated.
Senegal’s parliament voted on Monday in support of postponing the February 25 presidential election to December 15.
President Macky Sall had earlier postponed the election “indefinitely” over issues arising from the candidates’ list.
The candidates’ list was validated and published by members of the constitutional council, two of whom are currently facing “corruption” charges.
In a statement issued by its management and obtained by The Explainer, CDD urged the Senegalese government to respect the sanctity of the democratic process.
According to the statement, elections are the foundation of democracy, allowing citizens to exercise their right to choose their leaders. Given this postponement, CDD West Africa underscores the utmost importance of upholding the rule of law, transparency, credibility, and fairness.
“As the relevant actors engage through dialogue to recover from this setback for Senegalese democracy, we call on all actors to put the overall interest of Senegal first.
“Senegal has for decades been a bastion of stability exemplifying the possibility of democratic consolidation in the West Africa sub-region.
“We call upon ECOWAS and the African Union to actively engage with all stakeholders in Senegal in resolving this crisis swiftly and peacefully, thereby restoring the integrity of the Senegalese electoral process and avoiding any further disruptive actions, which could undermine democracy.
“We strongly urge all political actors in Senegal, and President Macky Sall above all, to prioritize dialogue and display exceptional statesmanship to prevent the country from descending into turmoil.
“We similarly express our concern about the attempted disruption of mobile internet services and the closure of certain media outlets following the public outcry against the postponement of the elections.”
To mitigate the risks of further democratic reversals, CDD West Africa urges the Senegalese authorities to promptly announce a new and reasonable date for the presidential election.
“Such decisive and reassuring measures will address deep concerns among the opposition, civil society, and all stakeholders, as well as prevent potential civil unrest.”
Meanwhile, in the past week, Senegal has experienced political chaos after Sall announced an indefinite postponement of the election.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) urged the government to “expedite the various processes in order to set a new date for the elections.”
“The commission further urges the entire political class to prioritize dialogue and collaboration for transparent, inclusive, and credible elections,” the statement from ECOWAS reads.
The Senegal government turned off the internet in the West African nation on Monday as part of a plan to quell protests and growing civil dissent.