A new opposition coalition was formed on Saturday, November 11, less than four months ahead of Senegal's presidential election on February 25, 2024. The Front for inclusiveness and transparency of elections (FITE, which also means "courage" in the Wolof language) has denounced the "erosion of democracy" it believes the country has experienced under the two terms of President Macky Sall, who took office in 2012.
The movement includes some of the ruling coalition's most prominent opponents: several members of opposition figure Ousmane Sonko's political party PASTEF, which dissolved in July; and Aminata "Mimi" Touré, Macky Sall's former prime minister who switched to the opposition in July 2022. The president's former ally spoke to Le Monde Afrique.
Aminata Touré. The situation has evolved. F24, a coalition that also includes civil society, was formed to fight against President Macky Sall's third term in office and won a major victory [the outgoing head of state announced in July that he would not stand for re-election]. As for Yewwi Askan Wi (YAW), of which I was not a member, it has evolved [with the exclusion of Khalifa Sall's Taxawu Sénégal party].
We now consider the electoral issue to be paramount. It's about ensuring that the election is inclusive and transparent, with the participation of all candidates, including Ousmane Sonko [currently in detention and removed from the electoral rolls].
We are also fighting against any attempt to eliminate candidates through the sponsorship system [each candidate must collect the signatures of 0.6% or some 44,000 voters] requiring backing from people on the electoral roll, 13 MPs or 120 mayors and departmental council leaders. All opposition candidates have a common interest in being united in their dealings with the electoral administration, particularly when it comes to checking sponsorships, which must be carried out by the teams of experts we have set up. For the moment, it's a question of pooling our efforts. Then we'll see how far we can go.
We have decided to take legal action against Macky Sall's decision to change the composition of the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA). The current government replaced the members of this body less than four months before the election. This is unprecedented and raises concerns about the conditions under which the election will take place.
Moreover, this contravenes the rules laid down by ECOWAS, which stipulates that no changes should be made to the system for organizing elections six months before the ballot. Particularly as at least one of the new members is from the ruling party, violating the provisions of the CENA, which is supposed to be autonomous.
Not at all. We founded F24 together on the idea of respect for the Constitution and fought together to defend democracy and good governance. I was an MP in the Assemblée Nationale, first under the BBY banner, then as an independent. We had regular joint initiatives with PASTEF MPs, including a motion of no confidence against the government that was not passed. For the past year, we've been working together on constitutional reform and the fight against corruption.
We haven't yet reached a common basic policy platform, but options are open to us. After the first round of the presidential election, I hope that FITE members will unite behind the coalition candidate who makes it to the second round.
In 2012, there were 13 candidates facing incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade. This did not prevent Macky Sall, then the opposition candidate, from winning the election in the second round. For the time being, the most important thing is to ensure effective control of sponsorships, so that those who want to be candidates can be, and that the vote is transparent. Diversity in the first round would enable each opposition candidate to mobilize voters against the candidate of the Benno Bokk Yaakaar (BBY) presidential coalition, Amadou Ba, who represents the continuity of the Macky Sall regime.
Our coalition is broader than theirs. The common goal is to oust Macky Sall's candidate, who may not make it to the second round given the divisions within the presidential camp, which is split several ways: Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, former prime minister, is a candidate, as is, among others, Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, former agriculture minister.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.