Senegal’s parliament controversially extends Macky Sall’s tenure, announces election date

There was chaos on the floor of Senegal’s parliament on Monday as lawmakers voted to extend the tenure of President Macky Sall until a new presidential election is held in December.

Mr Sall was due to leave office on 2 April, following a failed move to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally permitted limit. However, a few weeks before the scheduled 25 February presidential election, Mr Sall announced the postponement of the election, PREMIUM TIMES reported.

On Monday, the Senegalese parliament voted in support of Mr Sall’s bill and announced a new date of 15 December for the presidential election, AP is reporting.

The decision to postpone the West African nation’s election from 25 February to December took place in a chaotic voting process after opposition lawmakers were forcefully removed from the chambers as they debated Mr Sall’s earlier decision to postpone the election.

According to AP, security forces stormed the legislative building. They forcefully removed several opposition lawmakers who were trying to block the voting process.

The adopted bill also extends Mr Sall’s tenure which was due to end on 2 April until a new election.

AP also reported that mobile internet access was restricted amid growing protests by opposition supporters against the delay.

While lawmakers debated the bill, thousands of Senegalese gathered outside the legislative building protesting. Security officials tear-gassed and arrested many protesters.

Two opposition parties filed a court petition challenging the election postponement.

The development in Senegal is happening when the West African region is faced with growing coups and threats to democracy.

Mr Sall — who in July said he would not seek a third term in office following local and international calls on him not to do so — had cited an electoral dispute between the parliament and the judiciary regarding some presidential candidates as a reason for the postponement. But opposition leaders and candidates rejected the move, calling it a “coup.”

The African Union and ECOWAS urged the government to organise the election “as soon as possible” and called on everyone involved “to resolve any political dispute through consultation, understanding and civilised dialogue.”

A private TV station, Walf television network, had its signal cut off as they were broadcasting the protests on Sunday and their broadcasting licence was revoked.

The Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy said mobile internet services were cut Monday “due to the dissemination of several hateful and subversive messages relayed on social networks in the context of threats and disturbances to public order.”

READ ALSO: ECOWAS reacts to postponement of Senegal&s presidential election

“The government’s abrupt shutdown of internet access via mobile data and Walf TV’s broadcasting … constitutes a blatant assault on the right to freedom of expression and press rights protected by Senegal’s constitution,” Amnesty International’s regional office for West and Central Africa said in a statement.

Political tensions have run high in Senegal for at least a year. Authorities also cut internet access from cellphones in June 2023 when supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko clashed with security forces. Mr Sonko is one of two opposition leaders whom election authorities disqualified from the final list of presidential candidates this month.