The Senegalese president's botched attempt Macky Sall To move The presidential election has created unnecessary tension in an already tense electoral process. The move reflected deeper governance problems within the country.

Sall's decreeafterward canceled by the Constitutional Councilwas the newest in a series of presidency interventions that went beyond the scope of executive authority. These included the disqualification of key opposition candidates, the manipulation of court cases and the arbitrary detention of dissidents.

Sall's twelve-year term in office was marked by contradictions. His government boosted investment in transport and concrete infrastructure. In particular he worked on the Highway networkthe brand new Diass International Airport, the expansion of vital roads and the completion of public transport projects.

But these investments didn’t result in an improvement within the lives of the Senegalese. Thousands of young persons are still carrying on dangerous journeys to Europe because they’ve lost hope of realizing their potential in their very own country.

This is the background to his try and postpone the elections with a view to ensure a successful strategy for his camp. His appointed successor, Amadou Bastays a controversial figure throughout the ruling Alliance for the Republican Party.

I actually have a research interest in state formation in West Africa. Since I have argued In my work, states maintain themselves by producing and alienating internal “others”. This refers to a scenario by which governments assert their sovereignty not against external forces, but relatively against internal cultural groups and existing governing logics. Sall's governing style follows exactly this pattern.

Crisis inside his party

Sall said He postponed the elections due to an alleged conflict between parliament and the Constitutional Council. Parliament had approved the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the means of validating presidential candidacies by the Constitutional Council.

Sall actually clung to it an accusation the corruption allegations made by Karim Wade against two judges of the Constitutional Council after Karim was excluded from running because of his dual citizenship.

The most plausible reason, nonetheless, was a crisis throughout the ruling camp. The Alliance for the Republic is a divided party that’s going into the elections in a disorderly manner. Sall's chosen successor, Ba, generated little enthusiasm amongst voters. It symbolizes the established order. As a wealthy candidate, Ba faces the difficult task of convincing an impoverished electorate that he’s as much as the duty.

Sall exceeded his constitutional authority. The Senegalese Limitation of the Constitution The length of the President's term can’t be modified. Next, in response to the Electoral law, the decree setting a date for the presidential election should be published no later than 80 days before the scheduled vote. Sall postponed the election just 12 hours before the campaign began, and 22 days before the vote.

Sall's try and postpone the elections has created a climate of distrust within the integrity of the electoral process and plunged Senegal right into a serious constitutional crisis. His decree raised two vital questions:

Erosion of a democratic tradition

Since 2021, a series of protests and unrest have pitted Ousmane Sonko, a key opposition politician facing rape allegations, and his supporters against a government accused of manipulating the judiciary to thwart a serious candidate. This resulted in a big disruption to the economy. Every day of protests causes an estimated Loss of $33 million in economic performance.

Furthermore, Sall has deployed security and defense forces to ascertain an order of fear. He has taken brutal measures against opposition figures and dissenting voices in civil society through arbitrary arrests and criminal prosecutions. His government has systematically restricted Freedom of assembly was restricted, protests were banned, independent media was suppressed and public resources were mobilized to strengthen the ruling party.

For all of those reasons, Senegal has experienced an erosion of institutions designed to uphold the rule of law, promote political participation and ensure public accountability.

Sall was elected 2012 after a turbulent period under the flamboyant government of President Abdoulaye Wade. Sall owes his entire political profession to Wade's patronage. But their relationship soured when it emerged that Sall harbored ambitions to challenge Wade's son. Karimwho was being prepared as his father's successor.

Sall promised virtuous and frugal governance. But the general public euphoria soon faded when scandals broke out involving cabinet ministers and… close relations exposed the corruption throughout the administration.

In 2023, amid much excitement over the validity of a 3rd term, Sall gave in to public pressure violent protests. These led to the worst political crisis because the Nineteen Sixties, which claimed over 60 lives and led to… arrest by over 1,000 people.

Where to go for Senegal?

In accordance with the Decision of the Constitutional CouncilSall finally agreed to arrange elections before leaving.

As Election Day, March 24, approaches, the absence of key candidates and uncertainties surrounding voting procedures create a level of unpredictability.

Furthermore, the lack of trust is so great that the Senegalese public still doubts Sall's commitment to meet his obligations and facilitate an orderly handover.

Macky SallIn his final yr in office, his legacy as Senegalese president since 2012 became more complex. The yr was so filled with transgressions that it seemed as in the event that they had left an indelible mark on his popularity.

For a number of months he made the impression he had on his opponents and critics Ambitions for a 3rd term – not unusual in today’s West African politics.

A public outcry followed Decision on February 3, 2024, to postpone elections originally scheduled for 3 weeks later. Then his representatives within the National Assembly voted unanimously to postpone the elections and extend Sall's term until December.

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The country's Constitutional Council met on March sixth governed that the delay was unconstitutional and that the elections must happen before April sixth more likely before April 2ndwhen Sall's term as president expires.

In accordance with this, Sall planned Senegal's election for March twenty fourth. With this decision, the danger of an authoritarian tendency in Senegal appears to have been averted.

It is due to this fact time for a more informed assessment of his eight years in office.

I actually have been observing Senegalese politics because the late Nineties, working on democracy constructing for the US Information Agency's Africa Regional Bureau, teaching African politics to graduate students in Paris, and commenting within the media on developments in Senegalese politics.

Based on my experience, I might argue that Sall's tenure as president produced some economic, national and international achievements which might be value remembering in today of tension and doubt.

In my opinion, the legacy of Macky Sall was saved. At least that's the way it looks.

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What he leaves behind

His legacies as president include major infrastructure projects, including airports, a greater rail system and industrial parks.

When he took office, Senegal's airports were in deplorable condition. The country had 20 airports, but only nine had paved runways. In their poor condition, these airports didn’t attract the main international business fliers who could arrange businesses and employ the country's educated workforce or work with its revolutionary entrepreneurs.

Blaise Diagne International Airportnamed after the primary black African elected to the French Parliament in 1914, opened in December 2017. The project, began in 2007 by his predecessor Abdoulaye Wade, was accomplished by Sall.

Thanks to its location near the capital Dakar and quick access via a contemporary highway, it has promoted passenger mobility and freight transport. The national airline, Air Senegal, relies here. It reaches greater than 20 destinations in 18 countries.

Sall also built the country's first regional express train, the Train Express Regionalan airport rail link connecting Dakar to a serious latest industrial park (also built during Sall's tenure) and Blaise Diagne International Airport.

Sall also strengthened the country's regional airport hubs. He headed the reconstruction from five regional airports in Senegal.

The Diamniadio Industrial Park, 30 km east of Dakar, financed by loans from Eximbank China, was accomplished in 2023. The park is a flagship industrial project of Sall's industrialization strategy for Senegal.

The latest park lies at the guts of a network of special economic zones including Diass, Bargny, Sendou and Ndayane.

Companies from various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, electronic devices and textiles, are organising offices within the park, that are expected to provide high-quality products that meet local needs.

Sall's supporters expect the airports, trains and industrial parks to make an actual contribution to Senegal's transformation from post-colonial peanut exporter to import-substituting production center.

In my opinion, what Sall leaves behind is critical, especially in comparison with the frontrunners controversial African Renaissance monument his predecessor Abdoulaye Wade. The 171-foot-tall bronze statue, which stands on a hill above Dakar and was built by a North Korean company, has contributed little or no value to the country's economy.

Sall has also contributed to Senegal's popularity abroad and positioned himself as a respected and influential player on the international stage. As president of the regional economic organization Ecowas in 2015-2016He made improving economic integration the main focus of his term in office.

He also worked to construct closer relationships with other international organizations, including the G7, G20 and the African Union. While he served because the Chairman of the AU from 2022 to 2023 Lobbying carried out for the admission of the African Union to the G20 and complained that South Africa was the continent's only member of an economic forum of international importance.

In his address He championed the continent's cause before the United Nations General Assembly. He said there was no excuse for the failure to make sure consistent African representation on this planet's key decision-making bodies.

He stressed the importance of accelerating developed countries' resources for climate adaptation initiatives in developing countries, particularly in Africa.

Sall's management of the COVID crisis, which reached Senegal in March 2020, was his first major test of leadership. Despite its limited resources, Senegal is exceeded Thanks to Sall's leadership, he helped many wealthier countries reply to the COVID pandemic.

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Contribution to Senegal's democratic tradition

His vital legacy will likely be his participation in Senegal's democratic tradition.

First, he took up the dynastic ambitions of Abdoulaye Wade and named his son Karim Wade heir to the throne. Then Sall continued respect his limit of the presidency to 2 terms. This implies that he’ll soon hand over power to a successor while maintaining a singular and unique position uninterrupted tradition the transition of power in certainly one of West Africa's most stable democracies.

It wasn't all smooth sailing. In recent years, the temptation of power looked as if it would have overwhelmed Sall. He began donating worrying signs his desire to stay in office beyond his constitutional mandate.

Then, after testing the waters and finding that public opinion was firmly against him violating the boundaries he himself had imposed in opposition to his predecessor, he rejected to face for elections. Instead, he endorsed his candidacy the then Prime Minister Amadou Ba.

But a series of arrests of his most vocal opponents followed, particularly the favored social media star Ousmane Sonko.

More than 350 demonstrators were arrested during demonstrations in March 2021 and June 2023. At least 23 died.

Then got here his last-minute presidential decree move The election was originally scheduled for February twenty fifth.

It followed Democracy protests and by the violent suppression of urban protests by police, which resulted within the deaths of civilians.

After protests, Sall once more made a unprecedented U-turn. He announced that he would respect the Constitutional Court's decision that denied him the proper to increase his presidential mandate and demanded that elections be held before April 6.

In doing so, he preserved the system of checks and balances in Senegal. Furthermore, his decision is simply too release Releasing Sonko and his other opponents from prison and granting them amnesty has preserved the space for democratic opposition and civil liberties.

Sall's legacy because the voice of Africa could allow him a lateral promotion from the presidency of Senegal to the headquarters of a world organization.