SENEGAL: President Abdoulaye Wade to face his main rival Macky Sall in tough run-off as Senegal's court announces election results

Record ID: 493392

  • Title: SENEGAL: President Abdoulaye Wade to face his main rival Macky Sall in tough run-off as Senegal's court announces election results
  • Date: 1st March 2012
  • Summary: DAKAR, SENEGAL (FEBRUARY 29, 2012) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) PRESIDENT OF APPEALS COURT DEMBA KANDJI ENTERING CONFERENCE ROOM CAMERAMEN COURT OFFICIAL SITTING MORE OF KANDJI AND OTHER OFFICIALS SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) DEMBA KANDJI, PRESIDENT OF THE APPEALS COURT, SAYING: "(The candidates) have obtained: Moustapha Niasse 357,347 votes or 13.2 percent,
  • Embargoed: 16th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Senegal, Senegal
  • Country: Senegal
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAVV9B7C2DITX3ZZDECKTHP4FT
  • Story Text: Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade won 34.8 percent of the vote in the presidential election, falling short of the absolute majority needed to avoid a run-off, according to the first official results released on Wednesday (February 29).
    "(The candidates) have obtained: Moustapha Niasse 357,347 votes or 13.2 percent, Macky Sall 719,369 or 26.57 percent, Idrissa Seck 212,848 or 7.86 percent, and Abdoulaye Wade 942,546 or 34.82 percent," said the Demba Kandji, the President of the Appeals Court, reading out the results.
    The result, which must be confirmed by Senegal's top legal body, means he will face former ally Macky Sall, who came second with 26.6 percent of the vote, in the run-off.
    The second round is due three weeks after the results are finalised.
    Usually placid Senegal saw weeks of violence in the run-up to the election as Wade's rivals said his bid for re-election was illegal as he would have already served two terms in charge of the West African state.
    Wade argued that limits were introduced after he had already started his term.
    Opinion on the streets in Dakar was divided.
    "I think we should give the old man (Wade) a chance to do another mandate, to finish his building sites in a peaceful atmosphere," said Abdoulaye Diop, a pensioner from Dakar.
    Polling was calm and well-organised, and turn-out from a total 5.3 million eligible voters was 51.6 percent.
    Attention has swiftly turned to the jockeying for support from the other 12 candidates, with Moustapha Niasse, like Sall another ex-premier under Wade, emerging as the leading potential kingmaker.
    According to official results, he came third with 13.2 percent. Niasse has already ruled out supporting Wade but so far stopped short of endorsing Sall.
    Sall pledged to reduce the prices of basic foodstuffs and negotiate with striking teachers to solve a crisis in the education sector if he was elected, and some in Dakar trust he would.
    "For the second round I wish that Macky Sall wins, because life is difficult. People are tired, all the prices have risen, the oil is more expensive, the heads of the family have had enough. Macky should be elected so that prices should go down," said Malick Beye, a stone worker.
    Sall said he would seek to unite all of the opposition in a powerful alliance aimed at defeating Wade in the run-off.
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