Senegal’s incumbent President Macky Sall on Thursday won a second term in office without having to compete in a second round runoff, according to Senegal’s electoral commission. However, it was not clear whether his opposition challengers would dispute the results and make a legal challenge.
Sall received more than 58 per cent of the vote, said Demba Kandji, head of the country’s electoral commission.
His nearest rival, former prime minister Idrissa Seck, secured over 20 per cent of the ballots, and Ousman Sonko, a former tax inspector who became an MP, placed third with 15 per cent, according to provisional results.
Seck’s party did not attend an event proclaiming the results and the opposition planned to hold a press conference shortly afterwards.
Sall had made infrastructure development a key pillar of his election campaign, noting investments in a new airport, roads and railway link.
However, the opposition cried foul over allegations that the presidency had taken steps to block two prominent opposition politicians from standing in the elections.
The EU’s election observation mission said that the polls had demonstrated “enormous democratic maturity”.
“The best proof is the participation of voters,” said Elena Valenciano, a European MP heading the EU election monitoring mission. “A feeling of participation, transparency and peacefulness,” she added.
Nevertheless, the EU observers noted a political climate that had for several years been characterised by “a lack of confidence and blocking of dialogue between the opposition and [ruling] majority”, according to Valenciano.
