The discussion surrounding the timeline for upcoming local elections in Senegal has intensified significantly. Following Ousmane Sonko’s direct appeal to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to establish a definitive date for the polls, El Malick Ndiaye has now also asserted a resolute stance on the matter.
During Ousmane Sonko’s visit to Linguère, as part of Pastef’s membership card sales tour, the prominent deputy declared that any postponement of these crucial elections should be entirely out of the question.
“No one can postpone them”
El Malick Ndiaye drew a direct connection between the remarkable public engagement witnessed during Pastef’s membership card drives and the ongoing deliberations concerning the electoral schedule.
“Our membership card sales initiatives are truly energizing the nation in a positive way. Across the country, people are eagerly acquiring Pastef membership cards. This widespread enthusiasm, perhaps, could influence the timing of the next elections,” he remarked.
Nevertheless, the deputy remained unequivocal regarding the elections proceeding as planned.
“No one possesses the authority to postpone these elections. Whether they desire it or not, there will be a contest,” he warned, using the Wolof phrase, “Beug beuré, bagn beuré.”
Following Sonko’s declaration
This forceful statement from Ndiaye emerged just hours after Ousmane Sonko made his own declaration in Louga.
The leader of Pastef had similarly urged the head of state to issue a decree establishing the precise date for the upcoming local elections, emphasizing that such a decision falls squarely within presidential prerogatives.
“Issuing a decree to dismiss individuals like Fadilou Keïta, Waly Diouf Bodiang, and others is well within his powers, a fact no one disputes. However, in the same vein, he must issue a decree to set the election date. These are all straightforward decrees,” Sonko had asserted.
These two recent interventions collectively amplify the political pressure surrounding the electoral timetable, as the exact date for the next local elections continues to be a subject of considerable inquiry and debate among Senegal’s political class.