Senegal - News Archive

Senegalese Vote in National Assembly Election

Posted: 07/01/2012
Political parties aligned with Senegalese President Macky SALL won a majority of seats in the country's National Assembly on Sunday. SALL was elected president in March, defeating longtime incumbent Abdoulaye WADE. In the 150-member National Assembly, 90 MPs are elected through plurality vote in multi-member constituencies while 60 are elected through closed-list proportional representation. This was the first election since a 2010 reform, implemented by WADE, which mandates party lists contain an equal number of male and female candidates, presented in an alternating manner.

Source: ElectionGuide

Wade loses Senegal runoff

Posted: 03/25/2012
Incumbent Senegalese President Abdoulaye WADE conceded defeat on Sunday after losing the country’s presidential runoff election. Challenger Macky SALL captured 65.80 percent of the vote while WADE, who has been in power for 12 years, won 34.20 percent.WADE, who was running for a third term, faced SALL and 12 other candidates in the first round of presidential elections. Opposition figures have criticized WADE, saying a third term is unconstitutional following a 2001 reform that limits presidents to two terms. A court ruled, however, that WADE was not bound to this because his first term began before the rule was introduced. WADE was, however, forced to abandon a controversial provision after opposition figures called for demonstrations to protest the changes, introduced just eight months ahead of the election. The proposed law would have reduced the percentage a candidate needed to win on the first round from 50 to around 25 percent.

Source: ElectionGuide

Senegal's Wade to face runoff

Posted: 02/25/2012
Senegal's National Census Commission announced on Wednesday that President Abdoulaye WADE will face his former prime minister, Macky SALL, in a March 25 runoff election. WADE, who is running for a third term, faced SALL and 12 other candidates in the first round of presidential elections on Saturday. Provisional results show that WADE finished in first place with 34.82 percent of votes, while SALL came in second with 26.5 percent. Opposition figures have criticized WADE, saying a third term is unconstitutional following a 2001 reform that limits presidents to two terms.

Source: ElectionGuide

Senegal Court clears run for Wade

Posted: 01/30/2012
Senegal's Constitutional Council on Monday ruled that President Abdoulaye WADE was eligible to run for a third term in upcoming elections. Opposition candidates challenged WADE’s candidacy on the ground that there was a two-term limit in the Constitution. The court ruled, however, that WADE was not bound to this because his first term began before the rule was introduced. The court also upheld earlier rulings that three opposition candidates, including pop-singer Youssou N’DOUR, were not be eligible to run. Presidential elections in Senegal are scheduled for February 26.

Source: ElectionGuide

Senegal's President abandons controversial election law change

Posted: 06/23/2011
Senegal's President Abdoulaye WADE on Thursday dropped a plan to reduce the proportion of votes needed to win a presidential election. WADE abandoned the provision after Senegal's opposition called for demonstrations to protest the changes, introduced just eight months ahead of the 2012 national election. The original law would have allowed WADE to avoid a second round runoff election with only 25 percent of the national vote, down from the current 50 percent. The draft law would still create an office of Vice President. Opposition members accuse WADE of creating the new position as a way to place his son in office. Currently, the head of the National Assembly would succeed the president in the event of a vacancy.

Source: ElectionGuide

Senegal: Law Opens Door to Political Office to Senegalese Women

Posted: 06/07/2010
A law on gender parity in electoral lists, approved by a large majority in Senegal's National Assembly, has been welcomed by women from diverse walks of life.

Read full story. Source: AllAfrica News: Latest

Senegal: Tense Election Build-Up Ends Calmly

Posted: 03/24/2009
Despite campaign skirmishes leading up to the 22 March local election and a foreign military contingent on alert in case of poll violence, local elections in Senegal took place under widespread calm on 22 March, according to the country's national electoral commission.

Read full story. Source: AllAfrica News: Latest

Concern at Senegal term extension

Posted: 07/30/2008
Senegalese opposition groups express concern after MPs vote to extend presidential terms to seven years.

Read full story. Source: BBC News | World | Africa | UK Edition

Senegal extends presidents' term

Posted: 07/30/2008
Senegalese opposition groups express concern after MPs vote to extend presidential terms to seven years.

Read full story. Source: BBC News | World | Africa | UK Edition

Senegal: Presidential Term May Be Extended

Posted: 05/12/2008
Following a now well established trend in Africa, Senegal, which is viewed by many as a democratic model in the region, may soon change a key clause of its Constitution if a proposal by the government is approved.

Read full story. Source: AllAfrica News: Latest

Ruling coalition increases representation in the parliament

Posted: 06/05/2007
Preliminary election results released on June 5 by the Appeals Court gave the ruling Sopi coalition of President Abdoulaye WADE the most seats in the enlarged 150-strong National Assembly. The coalition obtained 131 seats, up from 89 in the previous 120-seat parliament. The three main opposition parties boycotted the poll deploring alleged election irregularities in the February presidential election. The voter turnout at 35 percent marked a considerable low level compared with the 70 percent reported in the February presidential election.  

Source: ElectionGuide

Wade named as Senegal winner

Posted: 03/01/2007
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has won re-election for a second term, poll officials say.

Read full story. Source: BBC News | World | Africa | UK Edition

Senegal poll results 'rejected'

Posted: 02/28/2007
Two opponents in Senegal reject unofficial results showing President Wade heading for a second term.

Read full story. Source: BBC News | World | Africa | UK Edition

Preliminary results show President Wade ahead of his opponents

Posted: 02/27/2007
Partial results from the February 25 presidential poll showed incumbent President Abdoulaye WADE on top with a little over 55% of votes. Final tallies are expected by March 2 and if President WADE manages to garner over 50% of the vote, a second round will not be necessary. WADE's main opponents Ousmane TANOR DIENG of the Socialist Party (16%) and Idrissa SECK of the Rewmi Party (12%) have claimed election irregularities and DIENG's spokesmen have indicated that they will not accept the results posted thus far. Voter turnout was high at an estimated 71%. Parliamentary elections are to follow on June 3.

Source: ElectionGuide

Senegal president 'in clear lead'

Posted: 02/26/2007
Senegalese voters await the first official results, as President Wade's supporters claim a strong lead.

Read full story. Source: BBC News | World | Africa | UK Edition

Votes counted in Senegal election

Posted: 02/26/2007
Votes are being counted in Senegal with partial results so far giving President Abdoulaye Wade the lead.

Read full story. Source: BBC News | World | UK Edition

Clashes ahead of Senegal poll

Posted: 02/22/2007
Five people are hurt as rival supporters clash in the capital of Senegal ahead of Sunday's presidential elections.

Read full story. Source: BBC News | World | Africa | UK Edition

Parliament reintroduces second chamber

Posted: 01/31/2007
The Senegalese parliament approved on January 31 the reintroduction of the Senate, a body which was abolished in 2001. The new chamber will consist of 100 members elected to serve five-year terms. No election date has been scheduled yet. Elections to the other chamber of the parliament, the National Assembly, were scheduled to take place on February 25, but were postponed after the country's constitutional court overturned a presidential decree on the distribution of seats in the chamber. 

Source: ElectionGuide

Legislative elections likely postponed to June 13, 2007

Posted: 01/19/2007
Legislative elections have been postponed from the original date of February 25 when they were scheduled to be held simultaneously with presidential elections. A new date proposed by the Council of Ministers, 13 June 2007, is awaiting approval in the parliament.  The decision to postpone the poll was triggered by an appeal made by two opposition parties against a presidential decree that disproportionately allocated seats to several constituencies. The presidential election will still take place on February 25.  

Source: ElectionGuide

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