/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/stripped/data113460095-4ee6de.jpg "Senegal votes for political change: newcomer Fay heads for presidency")
As soon as the first results were broadcast on television on Sunday evening, the first shouts of joy were heard in the streets of Dakar. Hundreds poured in, chanting from car windows and waving the Senegalese flag from their speeding motorcycles. ““On the way to the palace!” a boy shouted triumphantly to passers-by, his Senegal scarf around his neck.
And although official results may not be available for a few more days, the matter is already clear: Basserou Diomaye Faye, the 44-year-old newcomer who promises to shake up Senegal, is almost certainly the new and thus fifth president of the West. African country. According to projections, Faye could have won more than 50 percent of the votes. In this case, a second round is not necessary.
The stamp was accompanied by congratulations from Faye's main rival, Amadou Bah, the government's candidate and intended successor to retiring President Macky Sall. In a late-night statement, he initially dismissed the celebrations in the capital as an attempt by the opposition to “manipulate” the results, but backtracked on that on Monday. He congratulated Faye on his victory and wished him “good luck” for the “good of the Senegalese people.”
tsunami
Fei's supporters were already convinced. “It will be a tsunami, mark my words,” said Amadou Sani, a 37-year-old civil servant, smiling at a polling station in Dakar on Sunday afternoon, holding up a pink, purple-inked finger as proof of his vote. “We young people are tired. Since 1960 we have been ruled by the same elites who steal billions while the population is dying. We want change. Diomai, it is change.
Many of the 19 candidates had previously congratulated Faye on his victory. The front pages of many newspapers seemed to assume this scenario Monday morning: Happy birthday, Mr. Presidentthe headline of the anti-establishment tabloid Wolf Quotidien Above a large photo of himself, arms spread like Christ the Redeemer – Faye also celebrated his 44th birthday on Monday.
After one of the most turbulent electoral periods in Senegal's history, the country now appears poised for major political change – a change that will be felt in Europe as well. So is he The secession that Faye promises is not merely a secession from Senegal's hyper-presidentialism. The relationship with former colonial France and fishing contracts with Europe also need comprehensive reform. Just like the new colonial currency, the African franc.
Long lines
Faye becomes the youngest president in Senegal's history. The person who had been in prison for only a week and a half, along with Ousmane Sonko (49 years old), the Senegalese opposition star whom Fay appointed as his replacement. Sonko himself was banned from running in the elections after being convicted in a case that he and his fellow party members described from the beginning as a political conspiracy.
It is one of many dramatic chapters that have marked this presidential election. The worst point was President Sall's decision to postpone the elections – originally scheduled for February 25 – at the last minute. The opposition says it was a last-ditch attempt to cling to power, something Sall strongly denies. Eventually, the country's highest judges intervened.
Read also
Senegalese fought for their democracy and won
/s3/static.nrc.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/21131338/data113237692-70ea80.jpg)
Despite the chaotic, and sometimes deadly, march to the polls, Sunday's elections were equally peaceful as 7.3 million Senegalese were able to cast their ballots. Long queues had already formed long before polling stations opened their doors at eight in the morning. “After everything that happened, fulfilling our civic duty has become even more important,” says a forty-year-old IT professional joining the team.
/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/stripped/data113460092-61e866.jpg|https://images.nrc.nl/9dZNraW0DEre0g8UoRWJy0763tY=/1920x/filters:no_upscale()/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/stripped/data113460092-61e866.jpg|https://images.nrc.nl/MIRz3URhqlaiuZnj1guv7dDsy88=/5760x/filters:no_upscale()/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/stripped/data113460092-61e866.jpg)
The man is tall and wears dark blue clothes Bobo Wearing leather sandals, he prefers to remain anonymous (his name is with Norwegian Refugee Council a favour). He has a company and talking about politics in public doesn't seem to help him given all the tension. He whispers his choice of Amadou Ba. “I never voted for power,” he says, almost apologetically. “But I think it's important now not to have any insecurities. He has experience.”
It changes
More often than not that day, a completely different word is heard among voters: change. This is what Diomai promised to do with Sonko's help. The two met more than a decade ago as tax inspectors, a job Sonko eventually lost when he came forward as a whistleblower on the cheating of millions by Senegal's elite, including President Sall's brother. This was the beginning of his political career.
Read also
Senegalese opposition politician prepares for the “combat final”
/s3/static.nrc.nl/bvhw/files/2023/05/data101099886-f6fd9b.jpg)
In contrast to Sonko, his right-hand man, Faye, secretary-general of their officially dissolved party, Pastif-Patriots, has almost no political experience. But this is not a problem for their voters: “Diomaye mooy Sonko,” they repeat Pastev’s slogan, Diomaye ís Sonko. For example, Amadou Sani says: “What matters is their project.”
This project, which revolves around greater sovereignty and an end to corruption, has begun to gain great acceptance among Senegal's youth. Three-quarters of nearly seventeen million Senegalese are under 35 years of age. They are hit hard by the lack of jobs, high prices and lack of prospects. Faye's many voices reveal that they are not the only ones. “It is time for a new generation,” says 52-year-old voter Sheikh Bamba Fall. “We are done with broken promises”
Expectations are high. Too high, according to some. After all, didn't Sall also promise when he was elected in 2012 to limit the power of the president and strengthen institutions in Senegal? “Everyone who wants to become president says the same thing,” smiles Philomene Mende (26 years old). Dressed in a soft pink dress, the elementary school teacher heads into a classroom-turned-polling station. She says Faye and Sonko are different.
“Their rhetoric has awakened us. No one can undo that.”
Zombie specialist. Friendly twitter guru. Internet buff. Organizer. Coffee trailblazer. Lifelong problem solver. Certified travel enthusiast. Alcohol geek.