Senegal’s presidential party is on the verge of winning a majority in the Legislative Assembly, with top opposition leaders conceding defeat Monday after an election that was expected to determine whether the newly elected president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye could carry out the ambitious reforms he had promised during his campaign in the spring.
The African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF) party is expected to win around 131 of the 165 seats in the National Assembly, according to local media and citizen vote counting platforms, which would give to President Faye’s party an absolute majority.
Official results and the number of seats won by each party will be announced later this week.
Former President Macky Sall, leader of the main opposition coalition Takku Wallu, congratulated PASTEF in a message on X. Two other main opposition leaders had already conceded defeat hours after polling stations closed Sunday.
Before Sunday’s legislative elections, PASTEF held only 56 seats in the National Assembly, while Mr. Sall’s coalition only enjoyed an absolute majority of one seat, with its 83 deputies.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was elected last March on an “anti-system” program, maintained that the lack of a majority prevented him from implementing the reforms promised during his presidential campaign.
In particular, he promised to fight corruption, reform the system for granting fishing licenses to foreign companies and allow the Senegalese to exploit a greater share of the country’s natural resources.
President Faye finally dissolved the opposition-led National Assembly in September, paving the way for these early legislative elections.
The vote in this West African country known for its stability took place peacefully, despite an electoral campaign marked by sporadic clashes between rival supporters.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye, aged 44, became Africa’s youngest elected leader last March, less than two weeks after his release from prison. The former tax inspector’s rise reflects widespread frustration among Senegalese youth with the country’s direction – a sentiment common across Africa, which has the world’s youngest population, but a number of leaders accused of clinging to power for decades.
More than 60% of Senegalese are under 25 years old and 90% work in the informal sector, without much protection. Senegal has been hit by soaring inflation in recent years, making life difficult for a large part of the population.
The country is also a major source of irregular migration to Europe: thousands of people leave the country each year on artisanal fishing boats in search of economic opportunities.
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