As Senegal’s snap legislative elections approach, political campaigns heat up across the nation, with parties vying for support amidst a charged atmosphere.
With under a week remaining until Senegal’s snap legislative elections, both the opposition and the government are vying for dominance in the capital city of Dakar.
Activists from the opposition coalition are conducting a door-to-door campaign throughout the city, while government supporters have access to cultural events.
Both parties express confidence in their victory.
“We’re in a very positive state of mind. We believe that the Senegalese population is starting to become aware, even among those who supported the ruling party in the presidential election,” says Amanekh Seck, an activist with the opposition coalition.
Supporters of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s ruling Pastef party are just as confident.
Adji Barro expressed confidence, stating, “We believe we will secure a majority on the evening of November 17 with our lead candidate in the commune. We are certain of our victory here.”
In April, Faye achieved a landslide victory and promised to tackle corruption while enhancing livelihoods.
Just six months later, he disbanded parliament, accusing the lawmakers in the opposition-controlled assembly of obstructing his efforts to implement the promised changes.
He advocated for new elections, aiming to achieve a majority that would solidify his mandate.
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The most significant threat arises from Senegal’s influential former presidents, Macky Sall and Abdoulaye Wade, who have united to form an opposing coalition.
Currently, the topic igniting strong emotions is the numerous defections from this group to join the government camp.
The decision has faced criticism from the opposition while receiving support from the ruling party. This situation is considered questionable by some, especially given that Pastef had opposed such actions when it was in opposition.
Political analyst Babacar Diouf asserts that this is where experts often err: attempting to “analyze current situations by drawing analogies with past events.”
He says, “Politicians have expressed their support for Pastef at various times. How could Pastef respond to that? Could they possibly say—no, no, no, don’t show your support? That wouldn’t make sense.”
On November 17, voters in Senegal will head to the polls to elect 165 lawmakers in an election where voter turnout is anticipated to be quite low.
