Senegal’s ruling party was on track to a large victory in weekend legislative polls, according to media projections Monday, paving the way for it to deliver an ambitious reform agenda eight months after sweeping to power in the West African country.President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s Pastef party was projected to get from 119 to 131 seats in the 165-member parliament, according to estimates from various media.”I pay homage to the Senegalese people for the large victory that it has given to Pastef,” government spokesman Amadou Moustapha Ndieck Sarre told TFM television following the voting, which passed off peacefully across the country.The Pastef party had emerged as the vote winner in most of the first polling stations giving their provisional results, according to media reports, beating the two main opposition parties.Faye secured victory in March pledging economic transformation, social justice and a fight against corruption -– raising hopes among a largely youthful population facing high inflation and widespread unemployment.But an opposition-led parliament hampered the government’s first months in power, prompting Faye to dissolve the chamber in September and call snap elections as soon as the constitution allowed him to do so. Faye appointed his firebrand mentor Ousmane Sonko as prime minister. Sonko’s own bid to run for president had been blocked following a three-year deadly standoff with the former authorities.The pair promised a leftist pan-African agenda, vowing to diversify political and economic partnerships, review hydrocarbon and fishing contracts and re-establish Senegal’s sovereignty, which they claimed had been sold abroad.Various actors reported that the turnout on Sunday was typically lower than in the presidential election.- ‘Everything is expensive’ -Senegal’s roughly 7.3 million registered voters were called to elect 165 MPs for a five-year term.Voters have historically confirmed their presidential choice during parliamentary elections, analysts say.”I think that whoever you gave your confidence to in the presidential election, you need to renew your confidence in him so that he can achieve what he started,” said 56-year-old voter Toure Aby.”We want life to be less expensive for the Senegalese,” she added. “Everything’s expensive: water, electricity, food.”Voters continued a long democratic tradition in Senegal, widely seen as a stable outlier in a coup-plagued region.Clashes were only sporadic in the run-up to the vote. Although some agreements have been reached between coalitions, the opposition remains fragmented.- Bleak picture -Former president Macky Sall is leading an opposition grouping from abroad called Takku Wallu Senegal. On Sunday, it claimed the vote was marred by “massive fraud organised by Pastef”, without providing details.Sall left power in April after triggering one of the worst crises in decades with a last-minute postponement of the presidential election.Former prime minister and presidential runner-up Amadou Ba and Dakar Mayor Barthelemy Dias are also heading coalitions. The opposition has accused the new government of inaction, amateurism and a desire to settle scores with the previous administration.Unemployment stands at more than 20 percent and scores of people continue to risk their lives every month attempting to reach Europe by boat.The government said an audit of public finances revealed a wider budget deficit than previously announced.Moody’s downgraded Senegal’s credit rating and placed the country under observation.The new authorities have lowered the price of household goods such as rice, oil and sugar and initiated a series of reviews.They also launched justice system reform and presented an ambitious 25-year development plan aimed at transforming the economy and public policy.burs/yad/kjm
Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:36:05 GMT
