Senegal/The Constitutional Council of Senegal on Thursday canceled the postponement of the presidential election decreed by the head of state Macky Sall

The Constitutional Council of Senegal on Thursday canceled the postponement of the presidential election decreed by the head of state Macky Sall, initially scheduled for February 25, 2024 in the country and postponed to December 15. 

the law derogating from the provisions of article 31 of the constitution, adopted under number 4/2024 by the National Assembly, in its session of February 5, 2024, is declared contrary to the Constitution. 

Consequently, decree number 2024-106 of February 3, 2024 repealing the decree summoning the electorate for the presidential election of February 25, 2024 is canceled by the 7 wise men, we read in the decision of the Constitutional Council published Thursday evening. 

In its judgment, the Constitutional Council in fact rejected the two texts basing the postponement of the presidential election to December 15, 2024. On the one hand, “decree no. 2024-106 of February 3, 2024, repealing the decree summoning the electorate for the presidential election of February 25, 2024, is canceled”. On the other hand, “the law derogating from the provisions of article 31 of the Constitution, adopted under No. 4/2024 by the National Assembly, in its session of February 5, 2024, is [deemed] contrary to the Constitution.”

The Constitutional Council, “noting the impossibility of organizing the presidential election on the date initially planned, invites the competent authorities to hold it as soon as possible”. 

We remember that President Macky Sall announced on February 3 that he had canceled the decree summoning the Senegalese to the polls on February 25 for the election of a new President of the Republic. 

In making this decision, he cited suspicions of corruption concerning magistrates of the Constitutional Council among those who examined the 93 application files and deemed 20 of them admissible. 

Candidates for the presidential election and deputies had contacted the Constitutional Council with a view to annulling the decision of the President of the Republic and organizing the vote on the date initially planned.