Supporters of opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye were celebrating in the streets of Senegal early on Monday after provisional results in the presidential election suggested he was ahead of the former prime minister Amadou Ba in the race to replace Macky Sall.
Millions lined up to elect Senegal's fifth president from 17 candidates following three years of unprecedented political turbulence that sparked violent anti-government protests and buoyed support for the opposition.
At stake is the potential end of an administration that has pushed investor-friendly policies but failed to ease economic hardship in one of the more stable democracies in coup-prone western Africa.
Sall, 62, stepped down after a second term marred by unrest over the prosecution of firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and concerns that Sall wanted to extend his mandate past the constitutional limit.
The incumbent was not on the ballot for the first time in Senegal's history. His ruling coalition picked the 62-year-old Ba, as its candidate.
The election day on Sunday went smoothly with no major incidents reported.
Polls closed at 1800 GMT, after which voting bureaus started publishing their tallies.
The first set announced on television showed Faye had won the majority of votes, triggering widespread street celebrations among opposition supporters in the capital Dakar.
In the streets of Senegal, celebrating voters seem convinced that opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye is winning the election. https://t.co/ei7nq1lOft
— Geoffrey York (@geoffreyyork) March 24, 2024
Former prime minister and the ruling coalition's candidate, Ba said however that celebrations were premature.
"For our part, and considering the feedback of the results from our team of experts, we are certain that, in the worst case scenario, we will go to a run-off," Ba's campaign said in a statement.
About 7.3 million people were registered to vote in the country of around 18 million. It was not clear how many of the 15,633 polling stations had finished counting.
Final provisional results are expected by Tuesday.
A second round of voting will take place if no candidate secures the more than 50 percent majority required to prevent a run-off.
On Sunday night, at least four candidates, including Anta Babacar Ngom, conceded defeat to Faye.
Félicitations à Monsieur Bassirou Diomaye FAYE pour sa victoire incontestable qui est le fruit de la volonté des sénégalais. Le peuple a parlé et nous respectons pleinement sa décision démocratique. Je souhaite à Monsieur Faye plein succès à la tête du Sénégal et espère que son…
— Anta Babacar (@Antababacar) March 24, 2024
In a post on social media she said: "The people have spoken and we fully respect their democratic decision," she said Ngom. "I wish Mr Faye every success at the helm of Senegal and hope that his term of office will bring prosperity and harmony to our nation."
'Diomaye is Sonko'
Sonko, in jail until recently, was disqualified from the race because of a defamation conviction.
He is backing Faye, the co-creator of his now dissolved Pastef party, who was also detained almost a year ago on charges including defamation and contempt of court.
An amnesty law passed this month allowed their release days before the vote.
They have campaigned together under the banner "Diomaye is Sonko".
Some high-profile politicians and opposition candidates have backed Faye's candidacy.
"The population is choosing between continuation and rupture," Faye said after casting his vote, urging contenders to accept the winner.
Departure
Sall, first elected in 2012, is leaving office after a drop in popularity that deepened when authorities sought to postpone the vote to December.
It was initially scheduled for 25 February.
The move stoked unrest and concerns about authoritarian overreach, prompting Senegal's Constitutional Council to rule that the vote should go ahead before the end of Sall's mandate on 2 April.
After voting, Ba called for peace and said he wished for the Senegalese people to find out their next president soon and resume their daily lives.
Faye has promised to root out corruption, restore stability and prioritise economic sovereignty, appealing to the urban youth frustrated by a lack of jobs in a country where 60 percent of the population is younger than 25.
But some of his pledges, such as plans to renegotiate oil contracts just as Senegal is due to begin offshore oil and gas production, have raised concern over the country's image as a destination for investors.
(with Reuters)
