In Senegal, former President Macky Sall returns as head of the legislative list

An opposition coalition in Senegal has named former president Macky Sall as head of the list for the early legislative elections in November, two officials from the former majority said on Tuesday, October 1. One of these officials, former minister Mansour Faye, told AFP that Macky Sall had agreed to be head of the list of the Takku Wallu Senegal coalition.

Senegal will face a new confrontation between the two main players in a standoff lasting several years, Macky Sall and the now Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, if the declarations of candidacy are deemed admissible by the General Directorate of Elections in the coming days.

Ousmane Sonko, imprisoned for more than seven months under Macky Sall and prevented from running in the presidential election in March 2024, was named head of the list of his Pastef party in the legislative elections on November 17, Pastef confirmed this Tuesday to AFP.

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Macky Sall and Ousmane Sonko engaged in a three-year showdown that left dozens dead before Ousmane Sonko’s second, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, beat the outgoing president’s designated heir, Amadou Ba, from the first round of the 2024 presidential election with more than 54% of the votes.

Macky Sall abroad since the end of his mandate

Bassirou Diomaye Faye found himself with a Parliament still dominated by the old majority. He was only able to dissolve it in September, causing early legislative elections. Ousmane Sonko’s camp intends to extend the momentum of the presidential election to give President Faye a parliamentary majority and the means for his action in the face of a degraded economic and social situation. Oppositions have formed alliances linking former adversaries.

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The Senegalese Relief Coalition “agreed to bring President Macky Sall to the head of the national list”a dit Mansour Faye. “What he accepted”he added. Another official, Abdou Mbow, corroborated these statements. The two officials remained vague on the possibility that Macky Sall, abroad since the end of his mandate, would return to campaign. “This is our wish”a dit Mansour Faye.

Alliances of former opponent of Macky Sall with… Macky Sall

The Takku Wallu Senegal coalition notably brings together the Alliance for the Republic founded by Macky Sall and the Senegalese Democratic Party of Karim Wade, another former opponent of Macky Sall, detained for three years under his presidency. Karim Wade appears in third place on the national list of Takku Wallu Senegal, the press reported.

The Senegalese elect their deputies according to a method which combines proportional voting with national lists and majority voting in the departments.

Takku Wallu Senegal has allied itself in all departments with another coalition, Samm Sa Kaddu, which includes other former adversaries of Macky Sall, including the ex-mayor of Dakar, Khalifa Sall, also imprisoned under his presidency, said Abdou Mbow. On the other hand, a third coalition, around former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, only agreed to form an alliance with the other two in three departments, including Dakar, said Abdou Mbow.