The presidential election of March 24, 2024 marked a significant turning point in the consolidation of democracy in Senegal. Despite a political crisis that has weakened national cohesion, Professor Babacar Guèye, president of the Collective of Civil Society Organizations for Elections (COSCE), stressed during a national round table that the country has reached a new level in terms of democratic roots.
According to Babacar Guèye, the presidential election took place in excellent conditions, although the political crisis, the vulnerability of the legal framework and the divisions within the political class and civil society affected living together in Senegal. He praised the maturity of the Senegalese people who wisely used their voter card to democratically elect a new president in the first round.
The professor of constitutional law at the Cheikh-Anta-Diop University of Dakar (UCAD) considered that the organization of the last presidential election, despite some imperfections, demonstrates the capacity of Senegalese society to assimilate the modernity that electoral democracy represents.
The COSCE, which accompanied all the stages of the electoral process, resulted in a victory for democracy. Babacar Guèye particularly highlighted the decisive contribution of the COSCE to a free, transparent and peaceful presidential election, thanks to the Nietti Elections program.
At the opening of this two-day meeting, Mr. Guèye reaffirmed COSCE’s commitment to making available to stakeholders its experience acquired since 1999 in supporting electoral reform projects to promote free and transparent elections. .
Birame Sène, representative of the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Jean-Baptiste Tine, welcomed the professionalism of the COSCE throughout the electoral process. He also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to staying on course for the success of future electoral contests.
Michael Rayner, Ambassador of the United States of America to Senegal, praised the enduring commitment of the Senegalese people to democracy and democratic institutions. Senegal has been cited for decades as a model of stable and democratic governance in the region, a reputation well deserved and of which the Senegalese people can be proud.
