On Monday, 12 July 2021, the National Assembly of Senegal adopted a new electoral code. This text is the result of the political dialogue initiated by President Macky Sall in 2019 to prepare for the local elections of January 2022, before the legislative and presidential elections of 2024. The opposition is challenging this electoral process and by force of the ruling party.
The deputies were convened this Monday, July 12, 2021 at 10 am in the National Assembly. The objective was to examine Bill No. 18/2021 on the Electoral Code. The bill was passed by the majority, which speaks of “major advances”, but the opposition, on the other hand, denounces a “democratic setback” and a “disproportionate power grab”.
The parliamentary opposition has insisted on articles that exclude the candidacies of Khalifa Sall, former mayor of Dakar and Karim Wade, son of Abdoulaye Wade, former president of the Republic of Senegal. They have all been deprived of their political and civil rights after being convicted, so they will not be able to participate in the next local elections in January 2022.
The new electoral code must be promulgated before 23 July 2021, six months before the locals, to meet the deadlines set by ECOWAS.
Head of State Macky Sall welcomed the consensual updating of the Electoral Code. ‘An item to be credited to the stakeholders in the political dialogue initiated since 2019’, according to the communiqué of the Council of Ministers.
The Senegalese President also congratulated all the stakeholders, political actors, administration, civil society and good will, who ensured with their commitment, the openness and availability of the State, the credibility of our democratic and electoral process”.
