Voting is underneath manner in Senegal in a delayed presidential election many hope will deliver change after a turbulent political interval that triggered violent anti-government protests and boosted assist for the opposition.
At stake is the potential finish of a regime that has pushed investor-friendly insurance policies however didn’t alleviate financial hardship in certainly one of coup-prone West Africa’s extra secure democracies simply as it’s poised to grow to be an oil and fuel producer.
Nineteen contenders are vying to switch President Macky Sall, stepping down after a second time period marred by unrest over the prosecution of firebrand opposition chief Ousmane Sonko and considerations that Sall wished to increase his mandate previous the constitutional restrict.
The incumbent will not be on the poll for the primary time in Senegal’s historical past. His ruling coalition has picked former prime minister Amadou Ba, 62, as its candidate.
About 7.3 million persons are registered to vote. Within the capital, Dakar, a whole bunch of voters patiently lined up hours earlier than polls opened on Sunday.
Within the ocean-facing neighbourhood of Ngor, fisherman Alioune Samba, 66, stated he was voting for the change everybody needs.
“Meals, water, faculty; the whole lot is pricey with the low earnings now we have in Senegal,” stated the daddy of three.
Polls will shut Sunday night and provisional outcomes are anticipated by Tuesday. Voting bureaus will start posting their tallies from Sunday night time.
Sonko, in jail till just lately, was disqualified from the race due to a defamation conviction. He’s backing the co-creator of his now dissolved Pastef celebration, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was additionally detained virtually a yr in the past on expenses together with defamation and contempt of courtroom.
An amnesty legislation handed this month allowed their launch days earlier than the vote. They’ve campaigned collectively underneath the banner “Diomaye is Sonko”. Some high-profile politicians and opposition candidates have backed Faye’s candidacy.
“The inhabitants is selecting between continuation and rupture,” Faye stated after casting his vote, urging contenders to just accept the winner.
Different candidates embrace ex-Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall (no relation to the outgoing president), entrepreneur Anta Babacar Ngom – the one girl working – and Idrissa Seck, who was second within the 2019 election.
“Senegal stays a democratic nation, so I’m very proud,” stated Ngom after voting, reiterating her promise to restructure the financial system and shield democratic rights.
With out opinion polls it’s unclear whether or not any candidate will safe the greater than 50 per cent majority required to forestall a runoff.
