Kaolack, Nov 20 (APS) – ”Rupture and promises”, a political essay by Senegalese journalist Samba Oumar Fall, examines Senegalese politics from 1960, the year of independence, to the 2024 election of the president of the Republic Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Through this 16-chapter book which has just been published by “Salamata Editions”, the author wanted to stick to current events and take a flashback to the Senegalese political landscape.
”Senghor, Diouf, Wade and Sall, despite the difference in their styles and their conception of power, each worked as best they could to ensure that Senegal resolutely followed the path of development. They tried, without ever giving in to the temptations of the monarchy, to build a strong state, while preserving peace, stability and democracy,” the author wrote in the foreword to the work.
He notes that “the election on March 24, 2024 of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who defied all predictions, brought a wind of hope”.
”Elected with very high expectations on all levels, he promised a profound reform of institutions with the establishment of a responsible executive power and the reduction of the prominent prerogatives of the President of the Republic,” observes the author .
The journalist-writer underlines that “the successor of Macky Sall is strongly expected to chart new paths of economic and social development for Senegal”.
He believes that this must involve “reducing the social divide, revitalizing public services, closing inequalities, promoting equal opportunities, fighting corruption…”.
In this work, the journalist-writer of the national daily Le Soleil looks back on the presidential destiny of Bassirou Diomaye Faye and ”the trajectory of Ousmane Sonko that everyone expected and whose presidential ambitions were weighed down by his troubles with the law” ‘.
‘If when he came to power in 2012, Macky Sall had relied on the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE), touted as the benchmark for economic and social policy in the medium and long term to boost development and put Senegal on the ramp to emergence by 2035, Bassirou Diomaye Faye also came with his plan called +Project+, noted Mr. Fall.
With this new framework for public policies, the writer affirms that the government is determined to realize the ambition of sustainably transforming Senegal into an oasis of peace and prosperity.
These are, according to him, so many challenges for President Bassirou Diomaye Faye who, according to him, will not benefit from extenuating circumstances.
”Bassirou Diomaye Faye, +anti-system+ candidate, has achieved a historic feat. His triumph marks an extraordinary political turning point, to the extent that it confirms the debacle of two tenors, Idrissa Seck and Khalifa Sall, who achieved the worst score in their history with respectively 0.90% and 1.56%,” he analyzed.
This victory of PASTEF (African Patriots of Senegal for work, ethics and fraternity) imposes a new political reconfiguration marked by the emergence of a new generation of relatively younger politicians.
According to the author of ”Rupture et Promises”, ”this new alternation raises a lot of expectations. It marks the beginning of a new era for Senegal; an era of rupture, imbued with hope. However, there will be multiple challenges to overcome.
Elected at the head of the executive with very high expectations on the economic and social levels, Bassirou Diomaye Faye quickly understood that he had a duty to succeed in relation to the commitments made to the Senegalese people, notes the author.
”Declaring one’s will is no longer enough to convince. Action is needed. He will therefore have to not only not disappoint, but convince all Senegalese that he will be up to the immense challenges that await him. That the much-sung +Project+ is neither chimera nor utopia,” maintains the journalist-writer.
Samba Oumar Fall explains that the ”Project”, which is based on the hope of ”a fairer, more prosperous, more sovereign Senegal and anchored in strong values”, has attracted a large part of the electorate , especially young people. It has in fact only known chronic unemployment, galloping inflation, growing poverty and endemic corruption.
”This youth aspires to a real change of direction, capable of resolutely and lastingly putting Senegal on the path to economic and social progress. It is up to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to ensure that the planets can align so that he can transform his promises into reality. And also prove that he is not an ‘adventurous president’ or quite simply a ‘president by default’ as some believe,” suggests the author.
ADE/FKS/ADL/ASG/MTN
