ECOWAS Concerned About Postponement of Presidential Election in Senegal
08:23 04.02.2024 (Updated: 17:05 10.02.2024)
© AP Photo / Leo Correa
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) expressed concerns on Saturday over the postponement of the 2024 presidential election in Senegal and urged authorities to set a new date for the election.
On Saturday, Senegalese President Macky Sall postponed the presidential election, initially scheduled to take place on February 25, 2024, indefinitely just hours before official campaigning was due to start.
The president signed a decree on Saturday canceling the relevant electoral law, citing a dispute over the candidate list as the reason, and said he would launch "national dialogue to bring together the conditions for a free, transparent and inclusive election in a peaceful and reconciled Senegal," as quoted by the Al Jazeera broadcaster. Abdou Latif Coulibaly, the Secretary General of the Senegalese government, announced his resignation following the indefinite postponement of the election.
"The ECOWAS Commission expresses concern over the circumstances that have led to the postponement of the elections and appeals to the competent authorities to expedite the various processes in order to set a new date for the elections. The Commission further urges the entire political class to prioritize dialogue and collaboration for transparent, inclusive and credible elections," ECOWAS said in a statement on X.
The ECOWAS Commission "salutes" the Senegalese president for "upholding his earlier decision not to run for another term" and "encourages him to continue to defend and protect Senegal's long standing democratic tradition."
Media have reported earlier that the Senegalese Constitutional Council approved 20 candidates but disqualified dozens of others from the presidential race last month, including prominent opposition politician Ousmane Sonko, who was arrested for allegedly calling for rebellion in July 2023.
