Senegal sets March 24 presidential election date after delay

The Senegalese government has set March 24 as the new date for the country’s delayed presidential election.

This was contained in a communique issued Wednesday after a meeting of the Council of Ministers.

In early February, President Macky Sall who faces term limits at the end of his second period in office, said he was postponing an election for 10 months.

This came just weeks before it was set to take place on February 25.

The announcement plunged Senegal into chaos as opposition protests filled the streets.

But Senegal’s highest election authority, the Constitutional Council, rejected that move and ordered the government to set a new election date as soon as possible.

On Wednesday, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers, government spokesperson, Abdou Karim Fofana, in the communique, said: “The President of the Republic informed the Council of Ministers of the setting of the date of the presidential election for Sunday March 24, 2024.

“The President of the Republic also informed the Prime Minister and ministers of the formation of a new Government.”

An election front runner who has been endorsed by the outgoing president, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, was replaced by Sidiki Kaba who was the interior minister.