presidential election in senegal

Senegal 2012: the presidential election campaign

                                                          Presidential palace

Senegal is a democracy where people can vote in elections at age 18. They elect a president every 7 years as the head of state who, in turn, appoints a prime minister to head a government. Indeed after the constitutional council has validated Mr Abdoulaye Wade candidacy; all the opposition parties have marched against it.

                            From The beginning of the campaign to the elections!!!

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Senegalese presidential campaign has started since February 5, with many difficulties concerning the subject of the validation of wade’s candidacy. Indeed almost all the opposition parties have gathered together and formed the M23 movement headed by Mr Aliou Tine in order to protest against Wade’s third presidential mandate. The opening of the electoral campaign was marked by two major events: Wade’s first meeting held in MBAKE (one of the biggest religious city in the country) and the march organized by M23 movement in the Obelisque square. But analyzing the socio-political situation of the country I can say that the M23 movement is the voice of Senegalese people, through theirs two major claims: the withdrawal of wade’s candidacy because he is 86 year old and also when he was elected in 2000 he said that he would never run for a third mandate; the second claim which is the most important one is the high cost of living in Senegal. Furthermore, the Senegalese are fed up to be legislated, deceived, they are also tired of false promises, of being victims of Wade’s political demagoguery, and this is the reason why that during the electoral campaign most of the Senegalese have chosen to participate to the demonstration organized by the M23 movement, but to attend Wade’s meetings. Finally despite all the problems, the elections were held on February 26 with a big disappointment of Abdoulaye Wade; because he did not win the first round as he had expected. And now he is forced to run for the second round with the candidate of the people, Mr Maky Sall

Mamadou Cherif Ba