Andrea Chamorro
Analyst of Fundación Alternativas
Senegalese President Diomaye Faye announced in September, six months into his term, the dissolution of Parliament and the calling of early legislative elections.
In March 2024, the Patriots of Senegal (PASTEF) party won the presidential election and Faye was sworn in as president. The road to the presidency was not easy for the party, as the then president, Macky Sall, was unwilling to cede power. But the difficult economic and social situation had negatively affected his popularity. In the 2022 legislative elections, which formed the current Parliament, the United in Hope coalition, led by Sall, was the first political force, but lost the absolute majority. Meanwhile, the Free the People coalition, led by Ousmane Sonko, quadrupled its number of seats.
The PASTEF party was outlawed and its main leaders imprisoned, which provoked strong demonstrations that were harshly repressed by the security forces. In a last attempt to stay in power, President Sall postponed the elections, which rekindled the protests and was subsequently rejected by the Constitutional Court. These events were unprecedented in Senegal, a country that boasts of being the most stable on the African continent. In the end, elections were held only two weeks after the original date, and a peaceful transfer of power took place.
The new government contested the elections with a very ambitious program that included structural reforms. So far, Faye’s executive has tried to implement them and has made significant progress. However, it has encountered strong parliamentary opposition that has prevented it from approving some of its main proposals. In September, a vote was held in Parliament on the constitutional reform involving the dissolution of the Higher Council of Regional Governments and the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, one of PASTEF’s electoral promises. However, this reform was rejected by the majority. Subsequently, the president dismissed the presidents of both bodies. In addition, the opposition coalition filed a motion of censure against Faye’s government, which was blocked by calling an extraordinary session of the assembly.
Earlier this year, the country started producing oil for the first time, with the aim of reaching 100,000 barrels per day for export and domestic consumption. The Senegalese president has promised benefits for the country, although the Senegalese company Petrosen has only an 18% stake, while Australia’s Woodside owns the rest.
The government has also promised to fight social inequality, a project that requires significant investments and has become increasingly urgent due to inflation in basic necessities. Although the executive has tried to provide subsidies, these have proved to be insufficient. Another of the most prominent measures in recent months has been the regularization of street vendors, an initiative that has been met with both acceptance and criticism. In this context, it is understood the need to call early elections to facilitate governance and take advantage of the popular enthusiasm for the new government, with the aim of achieving a parliamentary majority before its popularity begins to fade.
The situation in Senegal is of vital importance for Spain, as it is one of the main departure points for migrants to the Canary Islands. Faye has expressed his willingness to collaborate in reducing the departures of cayucos. The shipwrecks in Senegalese waters, such as the one in September which left forty dead and forty missing, have aroused popular indignation, and the government has promised a tireless fight against the human trafficking mafias. Citizen collaboration has been requested to stop them, offering a free telephone number to denounce these acts. The migration issue is extremely complex and does not only affect Senegal, as the situation in the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea is increasingly unstable. The outcome of the polls on November 17 will be key in determining the Senegalese government’s ability to carry out its program and transform the country.
© Fundación Alternativas
