The American government has called on all participants in the disrupted presidential election in Senegal to engage in a peaceful process to set a new date and also set conditions for its “timely, free, and fair election.”
In a tweet shared by the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs, the federal agency said that it was concerned about the disruption to the presidential electoral calendar.
After admitting to the existence of irregularities that may have resulted in its cancellation, the agency promised to do all it could to restore normalcy, especially after President Sall’s promise not to run in the election.
The Bureau’s tweet read, “Senegal has a strong tradition of democracy and peaceful transitions of power. We acknowledge allegations of irregularities, but we are deeply concerned about the disruption to the Presidential electoral calendar.
We urge all participants in Senegal’s electoral process to engage peacefully in the important effort to swiftly set a new date and the conditions for a timely, free, and fair election. We also note President Sall’s reiteration of his decision not to run in the election.”
Sall had declared an indefinite postponement of the presidential election billed to take place on February 25, just hours before official campaigns start.
Sall, in an address to the nation on Saturday, said he signed a decree revoking the initial date, citing an investigation into the integrity of two Constitutional Council judges involved in the election process.
“I will begin an open national dialogue to bring together the conditions for a free, transparent, and inclusive election,” Sall added without giving a new date.
The first of-its-kind postponement occurred in one of the most stable democracies on the continent of Africa.
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