SENEGAL: Senegal holds a presidential run-off on March 25, with President Abdoulaye Wade facing a challenge from his former political ally Macky Sall in the vote

Record ID: 346547

  • Title: SENEGAL: Senegal holds a presidential run-off on March 25, with President Abdoulaye Wade facing a challenge from his former political ally Macky Sall in the vote
  • Date: 23rd March 2012
  • Summary: DAKAR, SENEGAL (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF INCUMBANT PRESIDENT ABDOULAYE WADE CROWDING STREETS AND DANCING WADE WAVING TO SUPPORTES FROM TOP OF CAR MORE OF SUPPORTERS WOMEN DANCING IN THE STREET HOLDING WADE POSTER WADE GREETING SUPPORTES IN A COACH WADE SUPPORTERS MARCHING THROUGH STREET (SOUNDBITE) (French) SENEGAL PRESIDENT ABDOULAYE WADE SAYING: "Help me help you! You know very well I am the man who challenges. I will face every challenge with you." WADE SUPPORTERS HOLDING PLACARDS AT RALLY WADE ON STAGE WAVING AT SUPPORTERS MORE OF CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (French) SENEGAL PRESIDENT ABDOULAYE WADE SAYING: "The parties and the allies are the one who will chose the presidential candidate who represents change when I leave Senegal. I would like to tell people that it will not be Karim, because Karim has done a good job and will leave when I leave." VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC ON STREET OPPOSITION CANDIDATE MACKY SALL WAVING TO SUPPORTERS FROM CAR SALL SUPPORTERS MORE OF SALL WAVING TO SUPPORTERS FROM CAR SALL SUPPORTERS WAVING ID CARDS PLACARD READING IN FRENCH: I'M VOTING FOR MACKY VARIOUS OF SALL WAVING FROM CAR/CROWDS OF SUPPORTERS SUPPORTERS WAVING THROUGH WINDOWS OF A COACH SALL WAVING TO COACH (SOUNDBITE) (French) OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MACKY SALL SAYING: "When I saw the arrogance of the people in power and the fact that president of the Republic's belief that everybody was indebted to him despite their own effort -- in fact, he had a monarchic conception of power -- I thought it was very important for me, Macky Sall, to stand and fight and depend only on the people of Senegal. As the people are sovereign, I will serve them and will conquer them." SALL SUPPORTERS WAVING TO HIM FROM SIDE OF ROAD SALL WAVING TO SUPPORTERS VARIOUS OF CROWD/SALL WAVING FROM CAR (SOUNDBITE) (French) OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MACKY SALL SAYING: "The idea is to establish my own party, first, but beyond that I want to put forward the skills of the Senegalese, and if I come to power with the help of God, you will see that my government will be a government of national competency, not only made of politicians, but also of people from civil society groups, and people who are not in politics and who have recognised skills. I will set all these people in motion and galvanise them because I want the country to be characterised by labour and progress." VARIOUS STREET SCENES
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Senegal, Senegal
  • Country: Senegal
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAKF7AFM65DHRL3Q19YJUEWCKY
  • Story Text: Thousands took to the streets of Senegal's capital Dakar this week to show support for candidates ahead of the presidential run off on Sunday (March 25).
    Incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade topped the first round poll with 35 percent of votes but failed to win an overall majority needed to secure an outright win.
    He faces opposition leader Macky Sall who came second with 26 percent of the votes.
    Lining the streets to greet Wade, his supporters waved placards and posters emblazoned with his face and campaign slogans.
    Wade himself drove through crowds, waving to supporters from the roof of a car and shaking hands with the people.
    Addressing a rally packed with jubilant supporters, Wade, 85, said:
    "Help me help you! You know very well I am the man who challenges. I will face every challenge with you."
    The octogenarian president's re-election campaign sparked violence in the usually placid country, with rivals claiming his third bid for office violated Senegal's constitution.
    The incumbent president countered the claims, saying the two-term election limit only became law after he started his second term in office.
    He has also brushed aside claims by opposition supporters that he plans to hand over power to his son Karim if he wins a third term.
    "The parties and the allies are the one who will chose the presidential candidate who represents change when I leave Senegal. I would like to tell people that it will not be Karim, because Karim has done a good job and will leave when I leave," Wade said.
    On the other side of town opposition candidate, Macky Sall's supporters were equally euphoric, lining the streets and dancing on walls and on top of cars as he drove by.
    Opposition candidates who lost out in the first round but together won over 65 percent of the vote, have rallied behind Sall asking their supporters to vote for him to push Wade out.
    Speaking to Reuters ahead of Sunday's poll, Sall said he was ready to rise to the challenge.
    "When I saw the arrogance of the people in power and the fact that president of the Republic's belief that everybody was indebted to him despite their own effort -- in fact, he had a monarchic conception of power -- I thought it was very important for me, Macky Sall, to stand and fight and depend only on the people of Senegal. As the people are sovereign, I will serve them and will conquer them."
    Sall, 50, a former prime minister in Wade's government has also won the support of hugely popular Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour, who was blocked from running for office.
    If he wins, Sall said he will not betray the trust the candidates had placed in him and reiterated his promise to fight poverty, reform and strengthen Senegal's political institutions while maintaining a clear separation of powers between the executive branch and other branches of government.
    "The idea is to establish my own party, first, but beyond that I want to put forward the skills of the Senegalese, and if I come to power with the help of God, you will see that my government will be a government of national competency, not only made of politicians, but also of people from civil society groups, and people who are not in politics and who have recognised skills. I will set all these people in motion and galvanise them because I want the country to be characterised by labour and progress," Sall told Reuters.
    Sall oversaw the successful re-election of Wade five years ago as head of the incumbent's campaign.
    While some say he represents a new generation of political leaders, his critics say he is in fact a creation of Wade's government and therefore unlikely to bring about real change.
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