SENEGAL: Early tallies point to a run-off between Sall and Wade in Senegal's presidential election

Record ID: 346505

  • Title: SENEGAL: Early tallies point to a run-off between Sall and Wade in Senegal's presidential election
  • Date: 28th February 2012
  • Summary: DAKAR, SENEGAL (FEBRUARY 27, 2012) (REUTERS) ***CONTAISN SOME FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ***NIGHT SHOTS*** VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MACKY SALL CELEBRATING POSTER OF SALL VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AROUNA COUMBA NDOSENE DIOUF, POLITICAL ADVISOR TO MACKY SALL, SAYING "The results have today decided that we are almost in the same level so we don't tell nobody that we are winning the election yet but we are not far away in term of points, far away from the senegalese it is certain that the results we got today we see that the second round is right there at the corner." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AROUNA COUMBA NDOSENE DIOUF, POLITICAL ADVISOR TO MACKY SALL, SAYING "The president Macky Sall and all the leaders around him for the coalition Maky 2012, are encouraging all the Senegalese people to continue the determination of changing their own country. Because if this country needs to be changed, it will be changed by the senegalese people, nobody else." EXTERIOR OF PARTY HEADQUARTERS
  • Embargoed: 14th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Senegal, Senegal
  • Country: Senegal
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6RKMVDNN0DSZFEKYHE3IMD3YX
  • Story Text: Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade is in a tight race with chief rival Macky Sall, according to early unofficial tallies from the West African state's most contentious poll in recent history, signalling a possible run-off between the former allies.
    The election follows weeks of violent street protests against 85-year-old Wade's bid for a third term in office despite a two-term limit, and warnings that Senegal's reputation as an established democracy hangs in the balance.
    "The results have today decided that we are almost in the same level so we don't tell nobody that we are winning the election yet but we are not far away in term of points, far away from the senegalese it is certain that the results we got today we see that the second round is right there at the corner," said Arouna Coumba Ndosene Diouf, political counsellor in Sall's campaign, who was among a small gathering celebrating at Sall's headquarters.
    Partial unofficial results published by Web site SUNU2012, which has been aggregating figures from volunteers at individual polling stations, showed Wade with about 24 percent, ahead Sall's 21 percent, with 10 percent of the ballots counted.
    "The president Macky Sall and all the leaders around him for the coalition Maky 2012 are encouraging all the Senegalese people to continue the determination of changing their own country. Because if this country needs to be changed, it will be changed by the senegalese people, nobody else," said Diouf.
    The trend could change rapidly, however, as Wade claims strong support in rural areas of the country where figures may be slower to come in. He has said he is confident of a win in the election's first round of voting.
    Amadou Sall, a spokesman for Wade, told Reuters that there were not enough votes in yet to draw any conclusions.
    A candidate must win an outright majority to win in the first round, otherwise a run-off between the top two candidates will be set. No official results have yet been released by Senegal's election commission.
    Earlier on Sunday, scores of voters booed Wade as he cast his ballot at his home precinct in an upscale neighbourhood of the capital Dakar before he was ushered away by his aides without giving a statement.
    Wade, a veteran of years in opposition before he took power in 2000, has touted infrastructure projects including new roads and an airport as major achievements. But he has been criticised for not doing enough to improve the lives of ordinary Senegalese, particularly in the capital.
    Washington has said Wade's decision to run again was regrettable, while Paris has said it was time for Senegal's younger generation to take power.
    Some 5.1 million Senegalese were eligible to vote for the 14 contenders in the election. Apart from some polling stations opening late on Sunday, voting appeared to have unfolded smoothly, according to a national network of observers.
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