The ongoing discussion surrounding the schedule for Senegal’s upcoming local elections has taken a decisive turn. Following Ousmane Sonko’s recent appeal to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to promptly establish an election date, Deputy El Malick Ndiaye has now articulated an equally resolute stance on the matter.
A firm position against electoral delay
While hosting Ousmane Sonko in Linguère as part of Pastef’s national tour for membership card sales, the esteemed deputy asserted unequivocally that no postponement of the local elections should even be considered.
El Malick Ndiaye notably drew a direct connection between the significant public engagement observed during Pastef’s membership drive and the ongoing debate regarding the electoral calendar.
“Our membership card sales operations are genuinely energizing the nation, in the most positive sense. Across the entire country, citizens are eagerly seeking to acquire Pastef membership cards. This widespread enthusiasm could very well influence the timing of the forthcoming elections,” he stated.
The former president of the National Assembly remained steadfast in his conviction regarding the necessity of holding the polls as scheduled.
“However, these elections are not something anyone can push back. Whether they desire it or not, the contest will proceed,” he warned, using the emphatic Wolof phrase, “Beug beuré, bagn beuré.”
Sonko’s earlier call for action
This powerful declaration from El Malick Ndiaye comes just hours after Ousmane Sonko made a similar pronouncement in Louga.
The president of Pastef had also urged the head of state to issue a decree to formalize the date for the next local elections, emphasizing that such a decision falls squarely within the President’s executive powers.
“Issuing a decree to dismiss officials like Fadilou Keïta and Waly Diouf Bodiang is certainly within his prerogatives, and no one disputes that. In precisely the same manner, he must issue a decree to set the election date. These are all simply decrees,” Sonko had declared.
These two recent public statements collectively amplify the political pressure surrounding Senegal’s electoral calendar, as the definitive date for the next local elections continues to be a subject of intense scrutiny and discussion among the Senegalese political class.
