A new opposition coalition was formed on Saturday November 11, less than four months before the presidential election of February 25, 2024 in Senegal. The Front for Inclusivity and Transparency of Elections (FITE) – which also means “courage” in Wolof – denounces the “democratic setback” that, according to it, the country experienced under the two mandates of President Macky Sall, who arrived at the leader of the country in 2012.
Within this movement, some of the most important adversaries of the ruling coalition have joined forces: several members of the ex-Pastef, the party of opponent Ousmane Sonko which was dissolved in July, and Aminata “Mimi” Touré, Macky Sall’s former prime minister, moved to the opposition in July 2022. The president’s former ally responds to Le Monde Afrique.
Aminata Touré. The situation has evolved. The F24, a coalition which is also made up of civil society, was formed around the fight against the third term of President Macky Sall and it obtained an important victory [the outgoing head of state announced in July that he did not represent himself]. As for Yewwi Askan Wi (YAW), of which I was not a member, it has undergone an evolution [with the exclusion of Khalifa Sall’s Taxawu Senegal party].
We now consider that the electoral question is essential. This is to ensure that the election will be inclusive and transparent, with the participation of all candidates, including Ousmane Sonko [currently in detention and removed from the electoral lists].
We also fight against any attempt to eliminate candidates through the sponsorship system [each candidate must collect the signatures of 0.6%, or some 44,000 voters] from the electoral register, of 13 deputies or of 120 mayors and presidents of departmental council. All opposition candidates have a common interest in being united with the administration in charge of elections, particularly for the control of sponsorships which must be done with the teams of experts that we have set up. For now, it’s about pooling our efforts. We will then see how far we can continue this dynamic.
We have decided to take legal action against Macky Sall’s decision to change the composition of the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA). The power in place replaced the members of this body less than four months before the election, this is unheard of and is worrying about the conditions in which the election will take place.
Moreover, this contravenes the rules laid down by ECOWAS which stipulate that no change in the system of organizing elections must be made six months before the election. Especially since at least one of the new members is part of the ruling party and this violates the provisions of the CENA which is supposed to be autonomous.
No way. We founded the F24 together on the idea of respect for the Constitution and fought together for the defense of democracy and good governance. I was a member of the National Assembly, first under the colors of BBY then as an independent. We had regular joint initiatives with Pastef deputies, including a motion of censure against the government which was not adopted. For a year, we have been working together on the themes of constitutional reform and the fight against corruption.
We are not yet at a common minimum program but the possibilities are open. After the first round of the presidential election, I hope that FITE members will unite behind the coalition candidate who arrives in the second round.
In 2012, there were thirteen candidates facing outgoing President Abdoulaye Wade. This did not prevent Macky Sall, then opposition candidate, from winning the vote in the second round. For the moment, the most important thing is to ensure effective control of sponsorships, that those who want to be candidates can do so, and that the vote is transparent. Diversity in the first round would allow each opposition candidate to mobilize their voters against the candidate of the presidential coalition Benno Bokk Yaakaar (BBY), Amadou Ba, who represents the continuity of the Macky Sall regime.
Our coalition is broader than theirs. The common goal is to rule out Macky Sall’s candidate, who risks not going to the second round given the divisions within the presidential camp, which is split into several pieces: former Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne is a candidate as well as former Minister of Agriculture Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, among others.