DAKAR,Senegal – Opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye emerged victorious in Senegal’s presidential election last Sunday, securing 54.28% of the votes. Amadou Ba, previously favored, trailed with 35.79%, according to provisional results announced by the National Vote Count Commission. Khalifa Sall followed with 1.56% and Idrissa Seck with 0.9%. The voter turnout stood at 61.3%. The results await confirmation by the Constitutional Council, although Diomaye’s victory appears secure, with both Ba and outgoing President Macky Sall, who supported Ba, already extending their congratulations. “I commend the smooth conduct of the presidential elections on March 24, 2024, and congratulate the apparent winner, Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye. It signifies the victory of Senegalese democracy,” stated the outgoing president, who did not run for re-election after completing two terms in office.
In a significant turn of events, Ba, the round’s major contender, extended his congratulations to Diomaye Faye. “Given the unfolding presidential election results and in anticipation of the official announcement, I extend my congratulations to President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye for her first-round victory,” he expressed in a brief social media post. The former prime minister wished Faye “great success for the prosperity of the Senegalese people.”
The trend became apparent early on in the counting process, which commenced shortly after the polling stations closed. As the official victory awaited confirmation, hundreds of Faye’s supporters thronged the streets of Dakar and the headquarters of her party, the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics, and Fraternity (Pastef). The party’s leader, Ousmane Sonko, had been disqualified from the electoral race due to a conviction handed down by the Constitutional Council in January.
Enthusiastic young supporters, both on foot and on motorcycles, paraded through Dakar’s streets, chanting slogans in support of Diomaye Faye. At least seven candidates publicly congratulated the victor based on the initial vote count results, which are still being tallied. “Congratulations to Bassirou Diomaye Faye for her undeniable victory,” wrote Anta Babacar Ngom, the sole female presidential candidate. Dethie Fall also congratulated Diomaye Faye “for her impressive victory, clearly evident from the strong emerging trends.”
Like Sonko, Diomaye Faye was recently released from prison due to an amnesty law enacted by outgoing president Macky Sall on March 6. However, unlike Sonko, her candidacy was approved by the Constitutional Council as she had never been convicted. Celebrating her 44th birthday, the Secretary-General of the Pastef party, Diomaye Faye, emerged victorious in the elections. An Inspector of Public Finances and considered an anti-establishment figure, she is viewed by her young supporters as a symbol of resistance against the outgoing president Macky Sall’s government, criticized for its perceived authoritarian and pro-French stance, as well as its unpredictable decisions.
Diomaye Faye’s agenda includes abandoning the CFA franc, a currency imposed on the country by France, and renegotiating energy agreements with major international companies investing in Senegal. Diomaye Faye’s victory, achieved without force or coups, is seen by many young Senegalese as a breath of fresh democracy in the Sahel region, where numerous countries have deviated from the institutional path and imposed military governance pending future elections.
