Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor H Kwasi Prempeh has criticized President of Senegal Macky Sall for indefinitely postponing the presidential election that was scheduled to take place on February 25.
President Sall in a televised address to the nation on Saturday Febraury 3, announced the cancellation of the relevant electoral law, citing a dispute over the candidate list. He said he signed a decree abolishing a November 2023 measure that had set the original election date.
“I will initiate an open national dialogue to bring together the conditions for a free, transparent and inclusive election in a peaceful and reconciled Senegal,” he said, without giving a new date.
Commenting on this in a Facebook post, Prof Prempeh, also a private legal practitioner said “Shame on Macky Sall, but not entirely surprising. This move, a gross demonstration of bad faith on the part of Macky Sall that will precipitate a needless constitutional crisis in Senegal, puts ECOWAS through even more needless stress at arguably its weakest moment.”
The ECOWAS Commission has urged the Senegalese authorities to expedite processes for the conduct of presidential election in that country.
The presidential election was originally scheduled for February 25, 2024.
Therefore, the Commission said it has taken note of the decision of the Senegalese authorities to postpone the presidential election with concern.
“The ECOWAS Commission expresses concern over the circumstances that have led to the postponement of the elections and appeals to the competent authorities to expedite the various processes in order to set a new date for the elections. The Commission further urges the entire political class to prioritize dialogue and collaboration for transparent, inclusive and credible elections,” a press release dated February 3 read.
The Commission commended President Macky Sall for not seeking re-election.
“The ECOWAS Commission salutes President Macky Sall for upholding his earlier decision not to run for another term, and encourages him to continue to defend and protect Senegal’s long-standing democratic tradition,” the press release stated.
It assured that, “The Commission will remain seized of the situation.”