The President of Senegal, Macky Sall, has stated that he will step down from his position when his term ends on April 2. His administration has not yet set a new date for the next presidential election.
He mentioned that it is unlikely that a new president will be elected before his term ends. This decision comes after the Constitutional Council ruled last week that the 10-month delay in the election was against the law. The original date for the election was supposed to be February 25.
“April 2, 2024, will be the end of my term at the head of the country, the end of my binding relationship with the Senegalese people as president of the republic. I would like this debate to be clearly settled.
“If we find consensus, I will issue the decree immediately to set the date; if consensus is not found, I will refer the matter to the Constitutional Council.
“What is certain is that there will be no void. We cannot leave a country without a president.”
“I want to make the dichotomy clearly between the election and the end of the mandate,” he stated, adding that he will follow the Constitutional Council’s recommendations on the topic.
However, Sall mentioned that he cannot order the election to happen before having a national dialogue.
He said that the dialogue would also involve candidates who did not receive approval from the Constitutional Council.
Earlier last week, the Supreme Court of Senegal ruled that the President’s attempt to delay the presidential election is illegal and unconstitutional.
The highest court stated that parliament’s passing of a law to delay the vote and extend Sall’s term by at least 10 months is not allowed.
