Dakar – Senegal’s opposition formally requested on Wednesday that the results of recent legislative elections be withheld until its complaints of “irregularities” and “fraud” are examined.
Both the ruling and opposition camps have claimed victory in the race to fill the National Assembly, which is largely controlled by the president’s coalition.
Opposition figure Dethie Fall told reporters that his camp had requested that the national vote-counting commission “suspend the publication of results scheduled for tomorrow in order for us to raise all the irregularities that we have noted”.
Fall was speaking on behalf of an alliance formed by the coalitions Yewwi Askan Wi (“Liberate the People” in Wolof, one of Senegal’s official languages) and Wallu Senegal (“Save Senegal”).
Another official from the alliance, Aida Mbodj, accused the ruling party of “stuffing of ballot boxes” and of creating “prefabricated” documents in the northern towns of Matam, Podor, Ranerou and Kanel – all strongholds of President Macky Sall.
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Mbodj said 200 000 votes were at stake, adding: “The Senegalese people will oppose this massive fraud.”
Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko described the alleged irregularities as “a massive fraudulent enterprise orchestrated by politicians with the certain complicity of the administration”.
Around seven million Senegalese were called to vote on Sunday, with turnout at around 47 percent, according to the interior minister.
Initial results released by local media showed the ruling and opposition camps had finished neck-and-neck.
With a presidential election due in 2024, the opposition has said it hopes to control parliament in hopes of imposing on the ruling camp an uncomfortable “cohabitation” arrangement.
It also hopes to curb any ambitions Sall might have of seeking a third term.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Pexels
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