Journalist :
On November 17, 2024, the Senegalese went out to vote. ALSAR, with Mr. Mamadou Racine Sy as head of the list, was in the running. First of all, what do you think about the organization of the elections?
Boubacar Sy:
Allow me to express my warmest greetings to you and your entire editorial team. Indeed, ALSAR solicited the vote of the Senegalese to represent them in the hemicycle. We can therefore validly assess the organization of the elections. The question is also important, since we have always observed an administration that is insufficiently thanked. She was sometimes even criticized.
Today is a great opportunity to thank and encourage the authorities in charge of elections in Senegal. The legislative elections of November 17, 2024, were well organized. No major hiccups were noted. We congratulate the General Directorate of Elections which, from receipt of the candidacy files until the day of voting, supported the candidates, through their representatives. We praise their professionalism. We also congratulate the RTS, the CNRA and all the other entities which have played a major role in spreading democracy.
We can consider ourselves fortunate that Senegal, from election to election, demonstrates its status as a democratic showcase in Africa. We must continue to preserve and strengthen what constitutes our uniqueness from other countries, our strength, namely respect for the democratic game. Senegal is a very big country when it comes to elections.
Journalist: What assessment do you make of the results of the independent ALSAR list?
Boubacar Sy: We very positively appreciate the result of ALSAR, for various reasons that we will list.
Obviously, sitting in the National Assembly was going to be a good thing, but that is not the main thing.
At this level, we ask everyone to listen again to the various speeches of President Mamadou Racine Sy, which generally revolved around questions linked to development and the fundamentals of parliamentary work.
Our participation in these elections remains justified by imposing a substantive debate on development issues, such as the type of representation of the people, the banishment of the imperative mandate, an ambitious policy which reduces unemployment, boosts purchasing power, promotes reindustrialization, an effective means of combating unemployment, without forgetting to highlight bold policies in favor of the elderly…
We have confined ourselves to these subjects, rejecting violence, recalling that this country must be built in peace and harmony. We have strived to explain the role of the deputy, which is to represent the people, to vote on laws and to evaluate public policies and to control government action.
We recalled that the MP has a representative mandate, which he judges according to the general interest and not partisan positions. So, for a first participation in a national election, ALSAR brought freshness to the political discourse.
We have challenged the expressions of intention of some to bring politics into the Chamber. A power was recently elected, which must be resolutely supported. This requires deputies who do the job correctly, taking particular care with the bills.
On the political level,
We can consider ourselves very happy. ALSAR participated for the first time in an election of national dimension and in a truly unprepared manner and decided at the very last moment.
We obtained 16,521 votes for our first participation in a national election. As a reminder, a coalition obtained a seat with 20,765 votes, or 4,244 more.
Alsar was only in the running in 4 departments and not the most populated electorally. For example, we did not present a list in the entire Dakar region or in Thiès, much less in Diourbel, three of the most populated constituencies in terms of electoral density. This had an unfavorable impact on our result.
It must also be remembered that we went to these elections without allies, unlike any other competing list. ALSAR went alone, relying only on its invested departmental officials. The real bet, indeed.
And, finally, because it is important, our list has suffered the full brunt of the resemblance with another list, that of ALSR in this case, both in terms of colors and acronym. We believe that this is not without consequences on our results. Our voters have confused the two lists, to our disadvantage. And even in the counting of votes, confusion was brought.
I myself witnessed at the Patte d’oie where our votes were attributed to the other entity accidentally, in office 3, at Aminata Sow Fall high school. Had it not been for the vigilance of the person sitting, we would have lost votes. I intervened directly.
Ultimately, we have what we are looking for, namely to contribute to the revival of the political debate, firstly; to really know what ALSAR, alone, weighed in terms of votes, secondly; to strengthen the roots of the movement in Senegal and its visibility, finally.
I end on an important point. In Podor, the political game between Aïssata Tall Sall and Racine Sy is definitively clarified, with the victory of ALSAR, which beat Takku-Wallu of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Macky Sall. In turn, our 2014 dispute has been evacuated, as has the balance of power which leans squarely in favor of the ALSAR movement. This was clear from 2022, with the nomination of Racine Sy as candidate.
Even in Podor, Alsar went alone, without an ally, facing XXL coalitions. To be edified by this, we should read the results more seriously and in comparison to other electoral contests.
Journalist: Today, what are the prospects opening up for ALSAR?
Boubacar Sy.
Thank you for the very interesting question. We said it during the campaign. It is not only in the hemicycle that we represent the people. The people need to be listened to and heard. This is the very essence of political activity. We will continue to work in this direction. Our political commitment is not detailed.
Listening to the people, taking their grievances where we can take them, that’s what we will continue to do. We will continue to fight underdevelopment behind the icon of the private sector, the captain of industry, the Mayor of Podor, Mamadou Racine Sy. He has done enormously for this country and for his region, without fanfare, a sign of noble political commitment.
We congratulate Pastef on his victory. We wish them success, since we are on board the same boat, with as captain, His Excellency the President of the Republic Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
ALSAR will always position itself as a force of proposals for an economically prosperous Senegal, where life will be good.
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