The discussion surrounding the date for Senegal’s upcoming local elections has intensified. Following Ousmane Sonko’s appeal to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to promptly establish the election schedule, Deputy El Malick Ndiaye has now also voiced a resolute position on the matter.
During a Pastef membership card sales tour in Linguère, where he hosted Ousmane Sonko, the prominent deputy asserted that any postponement of these crucial elections should be entirely out of the question.
“No one can push them back”
El Malick Ndiaye drew a clear connection between the significant public turnout for Pastef’s membership card drives and the ongoing deliberations about the electoral calendar.
“Our membership card sales operations are shaking the country, in a positive way. Everywhere, people are rushing to acquire Pastef membership cards. This widespread engagement could very well influence the timing of the next elections,” he declared.
The deputy, however, remained unequivocal regarding the elections proceeding as planned.
“But these elections, no one can push them back. ‘Beug beuré, bagn beuré’ (whether they like it or not, the contest will happen),” he emphatically warned.
Following Sonko’s declaration
This forceful statement from El Malick Ndiaye comes merely hours after Ousmane Sonko’s similar remarks in Louga.
The leader of Pastef had previously urged the Head of State to issue a decree to set the date for the forthcoming local elections, emphasizing that this decision falls squarely within the presidential prerogatives.
“Issuing a decree to dismiss individuals like Fadilou Keïta, Waly Diouf Bodiang, and others falls within his prerogatives; no one disputes that. In the same vein, he must issue a decree to fix the election date. These are all simple decrees,” Sonko had articulated.
These dual pronouncements collectively amplify the political pressure surrounding the electoral timeline, as the date for Senegal’s next local elections continues to spark considerable debate and questions within the nation’s political landscape.
