After weeks of deep crisis, the Senegalese Constitutional Council finally set March 31 as the date for the first round of the presidential election – even though moments earlier, the government spokesperson had announced it would take place on March 24.
The country has been faced with uncertainty surrounding the presidential election since early February, when a law was passed postponing the election. Originally slated for February 25th, then pushed to December, the new vote would have been held beyond the official end of President Macky Sall's mandate on April 2nd.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, the Constitutional Council ruled that the presidential election must take place before April 2, rejecting the proposed new date of June 2. A decision from the "sages," dated Tuesday stated that "setting the date of the election beyond the term of the incumbent president is contrary to the Constitution." Additionally, the Constitutional Council dismissed another recommendation made to President Sall, declaring that the list of nineteen candidates already validated by the institution should not be revised.
The Senegalese presidency has confirmed this sudden acceleration of the schedule by announcing in the evening that Prime Minister Amadou Ba was "released" from his position to lead the campaign. He is replaced by Interior Minister Sidiki Kaba.
Senegalese MPs on Wednesday debated an amnesty bill covering acts linked to deadly protests in recent years, a controversial text aimed at calming the crisis sparked by the presidential election delay. The bill has faced criticism that it is shielding perpetrators of serious crimes, including homicides, and its passage is not certain. A vote is expected later during the day, with the debates throughout the afternoon indicating it will be close.
Questions have swirled around whether an amnesty would be applied to imprisoned opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, and what this would mean for his possible return to the presidential race.
The bill would grant an amnesty for all offenses or crimes, whether tried or not, committed between February 1, 2021, and February 25, 2024 "relating to demonstrations or having political motivations". The text's rapporteur, Abdoulaye Diagne, said Wednesday that acts of torture were excluded from the scope of the law.