Senegal Constitutional Body Overturns Presidential Vote Delay
Senegal's Constitutional Council on Thursday overturned the postponement of this month's presidential election, a move that plunged the country into its worst crisis in decades.
The Council said the law adopted by parliament on February 5 -- which delayed the election for 10 months and would thus keep President Macky Sall in office beyond the end of his term -- was unconstitutional, according to a document published on social media and authenticated by a source within the institution.
The constitutional body also annulled Sall's February 3 decree that modified the electoral calendar just three weeks before the vote, postponing the election from February 25 to December 15.
Sall's move provoked widespread outcry from Senegal's opposition and civil society, who decried it as a "constitutional coup".
It prompted violent protests during which three people were killed and dozens arrested.
Senegal's major international partners also condemned the move and called on the government to hold the election as soon as possible, fearing violent unrest.
No comments:
Post a Comment