The opposition Bassirou Diomaye Faye is elected president in the first round of the elections

First modification: 03/28/2024 – 15:35

3 min

The surprising victory by absolute majority of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, 44-year-old tax inspector who attended the vote as a candidate for a coalition that bore his name, It allows the opposition leader to avoid a second electoral round and guarantees him a five-year mandate.

According to provisional results, this is the It is the first time since Senegal's independence in 1960 that an opponent wins in the first round of the elections.

Faye achieved more than 54% of the votes in the presidential elections in Senegal, which took place last Sunday, March 24.

Faye, who had never held elected office before, thus becomes the elected leader of this West African country of around 18 million inhabitants.

For his part, the candidate of the ruling coalition, Amadou Ba, obtained more than 35%, giving him second place, according to the Dakar Court of Appeal.

Aliou Mamadou Dia, came in third place, among 19 candidates officially included on the list, reaching only 2.8% of the votes, according to figures read at the Dakar Court by the president of the national scrutiny commission, Amady Diouf. .

Although Faye's victory in the voting was already clear after the publication of unofficial partial results, the margin of victory was confirmed by the vote recount commission, which depends on the judiciary.

The court noted that the results were based on the vote count of 100% of the electoral colleges. They are expected to be confirmed by the Constitutional Council in the coming days.

Howeverthe victory of Faye, who was released from prison just 10 days before the elections, must still be validated by Senegal's highest constitutional body, what could happen in the coming days.

The turnout of 61.30% was lower than in 2019, when the outgoing president won a second term in the first round, but was higher than in 2012, according to court data.

Is the way clear for a transfer of power between Sall and his successor?

The political crisis generated by Sall's last-minute postponement of the vote and the subsequent rushed electoral calendar cast doubt on whether the transfer could take place before the president's term officially ends on April 2.

But a quick transfer of power now appears feasible in the West African nation, which prides itself on its stability and democratic principles in a region hit by coups, as long as there are no complaints to the authorities to the contrary.

Presidential candidates have 72 hours after the commission announces the results to file an appeal with the Constitutional Council.

The Constitution states that if no appeals are filed during this period, “the Council shall immediately proclaim the final results of the vote.”

But if an objection is raised, the Council has five days to rule and could, in theory, annul the elections.