The new Senegalese Prime Minister, Sidiki Kaba, assured Monday March 11 that the logistics were ready for the presidential election on March 24 despite the short time between the announcement of the date and the vote. He also declared to the press that each of the nineteen candidates had the right to the close protection of at least two police officers. Senegal went through more than a month of crisis after the announcement, on February 3, by the head of state, Macky Sall, of the indefinite postponement of the presidential election initially scheduled for February 25.
After a wavering which alarmed national opinion and part of the international community, the date of the election was set last week for March 24, before the expiration of Macky Sall’s mandate on April 2. The head of state appointed a new head of government in the person of Sidiki Kaba to allow the holder of the post until then, Amadou Ba, candidate, to campaign. The campaign is inevitably reduced from three to two weeks.
Sidiki Kaba admitted to the press that there were “concerns” among the Senegalese. “I would like to reassure the Senegalese: the electoral materials are in place,” he insisted. The electoral administration “transported all electoral materials throughout the national territory and abroad,” he said. The ballots “are already ready,” he added.
Mr. Kaba, Minister of the Interior until last week, spoke during the handover of powers to his successor at the head of the ministry, Mouhamadou Makhtar Cissé, responsible for the smooth running of the vote. “The material has already been sent, there are still some details to be resolved (…), but we have no concerns at this level,” assured the new Minister of the Interior.
The two officials explained that, on instructions from the president, each candidate was entitled to the protection of at least two elements of the multipurpose intervention brigade (BIP), a police unit. Mr. Makhtar Cissé warned those involved in the election that the authorities would not “compromise” with violent acts or remarks.
