Senegal: Opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye Elected As The President

Finally the opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye won more than 54 percent of votes in Senegal’s presidential election, the Dakar appeals court has said.
The Senegal electoral court said on Wednesday the provisional results were based on vote tallies from 100 percent of polling stations. The results are expected to be has been confirmed by the Constitutional Council.

His victory came just 10 days after he was freed from prison. Faye, 44 said he wants a “break” with the current political system, and is set to become the youngest president in Senegal’s history. The Senegal electoral court said that the ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba took more than 35 percent of the vote, and third-placed candidate Aliou Mamadou Dia won 2.8 percent of the votes.

Subsequently, the Senegal’s outgoing President Macky Sall earlier congratulated Faye, saying his win is “a victory for Senegalese democracy”. More over some political analysts said his win reflected a protest against the outgoing leadership and divisions within the governing coalition government.

As a matter of fact, Faye’s message has been popular mostly among young voters in a country where more than 60 percent of population are under 25 and are struggling to find means of an employment opportunity. The former Prime Minister Amadou Ba who was the ruling coalition’s candidate, has conceded to his defeat and congratulated his opposition rival Bassirou Diomaye Faye for winning the Senegal presidential election.

Faye’s winning started showing from the first set of results from Sunday’s vote, as he maintained his lead, which triggered widespread street celebrations among opposition supporters in Dakar and then all over Senegal. In reality Millions lined up to vote in the country’s fifth presidential election following three years of unprecedented political turmoil that erupted violent anti-governmental protests in recent weeks, adding more support for the opposition.

Faye, the 44-year-old former tax inspector was recently freed from prison following a general amnesty granted to most political prisoners by the out going President Macky Sall, who was not on equally contesting. In his acceptance speech, the president-elect thanked his opponents for respecting Senegal’s democratic tradition by recognizing his victory well before the announcing of official results.

“In electing me, the Senegalese people have decided on a break with a past,” Faye told journalists in his first public appearance since the election, adding, “I promise to govern with humility and transparency.” This election marked the first time since the independence of Senegal in 1960, where the incumbent was not contesting for a re-election and was also the first time that the opposition candidate won in the first voting round.

Faye promised to dedicate more state resources to develop the nation’s youth and to renegotiate gas and oil contracts, with Senegal due to start production on recently discovered oil and gas reserves in the country later this year. He also sought to reassure investors that the country would respect its obligations.