African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki on Monday called for dialogue to resolve a political dispute in Senegal following the postponement of presidential elections.
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Faki expressed strong encouragement for all political and social forces in Senegal to address any political disputes through civilized consultation, understanding and dialogue while strictly adhering to the principles that govern the rule of law.
In a press statement, the chairperson urged Senegalese authorities to organize transparent elections that promote peace and national harmony as soon as possible.
Several demonstrations were held over the weekend in the capital, Dakar. According to press reports, hundreds of people took to the streets to express their discontent with the government's decision. Security forces reportedly cracked down on the demonstrators, who threw stones and set tires on fire on the roads.
Police today evicted protesters who gathered in the vicinity of the National Assembly, where the bill for the postponement of the elections is being discussed.
Amid this scenario, the government announced today the suspension of a private television channel and Internet access.
The tweet reads, "POSTPONEMENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN SENEGAL. In a press release published on February 4, 2024, the president of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat, calls for elections to be held in Senegal as soon as possible. The organization said it was "concerned" by the postponement of the elections, announced last Saturday by President Macky Sall, "because the political situation in this country, where the democratic model has always been highly appreciated, cannot leave any African indifferent ."
It was also reported that the presidential candidate of the opposition Alternative for the New Citizen Generation party, Anta Babacar, was arrested during the protests.
On Saturday, Senegalese President Macky Sall (who will not run for a third term) announced the postponement of the presidential elections, initially scheduled for February 25, citing a dispute over the list of candidates. The Senegalese National Assembly adopted the same day a bill calling for a six-month postponement of the elections.
The announcement was made in a message broadcast to the nation just a few hours before the start of the electoral campaign at midnight Sunday.
Last month, the Constitutional Council excluded several prominent opposition members from the list of candidates. The decision raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and fueled growing discontent.
On that occasion, the excluded candidates claimed that the nomination rules had not been applied fairly. The Constitutional Council authorized twenty candidates to participate in the elections.