Senegalese presidential election, 2007
Encyclopedia
A presidential election was held in Senegal
on 25 February 2007. The incumbent president, Abdoulaye Wade
, who was first elected in 2000
, won the election in the first round with almost 56% of the vote.
Had a run-off been necessary, it would have been held on 18 March 2007. A parliamentary election
was initially intended to be held on 25 February as well, but it was delayed to 3 June 2007.
(PDS), on October 15, 2006. Idrissa Seck
, a former Prime Minister who was once considered Wade's protégé, also ran. Seck announced his candidacy for President in April 2006; he had been arrested in 2005 on charges of embezzlement and threatening state security but never faced a trial and was eventually released in February 2006. On January 22, 2007, Wade said that Seck had agreed to return to the ruling PDS; Seck subsequently confirmed this, but said that he would remain a presidential candidate. If he had withdrawn his candidacy, the law would have required that the election be delayed, but shortly afterwards the National Assembly voted to change the law so that a delay would not be necessary in the event of a candidate's withdrawal.
Ousmane Tanor Dieng
ran as the candidate of the former ruling Socialist Party
(PS). Former Prime Minister Moustapha Niasse
ran as the candidate of a coalition of opposition parties, including his own Alliance of the Forces of Progress (AFP). Other candidates included Abdoulaye Bathily
of the Democratic League/Movement for the Labour Party (LD/MPT), Landing Savané
, a Minister of State and the Secretary-General of And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism
(AJ/PADS), Ziguinchor
Mayor Robert Sagna
, and former ambassador Modou Dia
.
, as well as alleged corruption and the delays of the parliamentary election. Major construction projects undertaken by Wade split opinion in the country. Wade's campaign called for the people to give him a majority of the vote in the first round, but it was widely expected that a second round would be necessary, and Wade's opponents denied the possibility that he could legitimately win a first-round majority. Many politicians who had backed Wade in 2000 had since turned against him, which could be viewed as making it improbable that Wade would do as well in 2007; on the other hand, it has been pointed out that Senegal's demographics, with a high proportion of young people in the electorate, could make it difficult to compare the two elections.
, who was also Wade's campaign manager, said that Wade had won the election in the first round with about 57% of the vote, based on initial results. According to results announced on March 1, Wade won about 1.9 million votes, about 55.9% of the total. Seck was in second place with 14.9% of the vote and Tanor Dieng was in third place with 13.6%. Voter turnout was said to be 70.5%. Wade won the most votes in 32 out of 34 of the country's departments, including a majority in 28 of them. Seck won the department of Thiès
and Niasse won the department of Nioro
.
Abdoulaye Bathily's campaign rejected the results and alleged that there were flaws in the voting, saying that a person could be registered more than once, and that the ink used in voting, which was supposed to be indelible, could be washed off. Ousmane Tanor Dieng's spokesperson also rejected the results, and on March 5 Dieng filed a Constitutional Court appeal regarding alleged lack of transparency and irregularities.
Final results from the Constitutional Council on March 11 gave Wade 55.90%, Seck 14.92%, and Dieng 13.56%. The Council rejected appeals from Dieng and Bathily. Wade was sworn in on April 3 at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar, with many African leaders and about 60,000 spectators in attendance.
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
on 25 February 2007. The incumbent president, Abdoulaye Wade
Abdoulaye Wade
Abdoulaye Wade is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party and has led the party since it was founded in 1974...
, who was first elected in 2000
Senegalese presidential election, 2000
Presidential elections were held in Senegal on 27 February 2000, with a second round taking place on 19 March after no candidate won over 50% of votes in the first round...
, won the election in the first round with almost 56% of the vote.
Date of the election
Wade announced the date for the election on 13 April 2006. The election campaign officially began on 4 February 2007. Soldiers voted early on 17 February and 18 February; this was the first time in the country's history that soldiers were allowed to vote.Had a run-off been necessary, it would have been held on 18 March 2007. A parliamentary election
Senegalese parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections were held in Senegal on 3 June 2007. They had originally been planned to be held together with the presidential election on 25 February 2007, but were postponed. 14 parties or coalitions participated in the election, in which the composition of the National Assembly, with...
was initially intended to be held on 25 February as well, but it was delayed to 3 June 2007.
Candidates
15 candidates ran for President, including Wade. Wade was nominated as the presidential candidate of his party, the Senegalese Democratic PartySenegalese Democratic Party
The Senegalese Democratic Party is a political party in Senegal. The party considers itself a liberal party and is a member of the Liberal International. Abdoulaye Wade, Senegal's president, is the party's leader...
(PDS), on October 15, 2006. Idrissa Seck
Idrissa Seck
Idrissa Seck is a Senegalese politician who was Prime Minister of Senegal from November 2002 to April 2004. He was a leading member of the Senegalese Democratic Party and was considered a protégé of President Abdoulaye Wade, but he subsequently went into opposition and was a candidate in the...
, a former Prime Minister who was once considered Wade's protégé, also ran. Seck announced his candidacy for President in April 2006; he had been arrested in 2005 on charges of embezzlement and threatening state security but never faced a trial and was eventually released in February 2006. On January 22, 2007, Wade said that Seck had agreed to return to the ruling PDS; Seck subsequently confirmed this, but said that he would remain a presidential candidate. If he had withdrawn his candidacy, the law would have required that the election be delayed, but shortly afterwards the National Assembly voted to change the law so that a delay would not be necessary in the event of a candidate's withdrawal.
Ousmane Tanor Dieng
Ousmane Tanor Dieng
Ousmane Tanor Dieng is the First Secretary of the Socialist Party of Senegal. He has been vice-president of the Socialist International since 1996.-Background and early life:...
ran as the candidate of the former ruling Socialist Party
Socialist Party of Senegal
The Socialist Party of Senegal is a political party in Senegal. It was the ruling party in Senegal from independence in 1960 until 2000. Ousmane Tanor Dieng has been the First Secretary of the party since 1996...
(PS). Former Prime Minister Moustapha Niasse
Moustapha Niasse
Moustapha Niasse is a Senegalese politician and diplomat. He served in the government of Senegal as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1978 to 1984 and again from 1993 to 1998. He was Prime Minister of Senegal for a few weeks in 1983, and he held that position again from 2000 to 2001.-Political...
ran as the candidate of a coalition of opposition parties, including his own Alliance of the Forces of Progress (AFP). Other candidates included Abdoulaye Bathily
Abdoulaye Bathily
Abdoulaye Bathily is a Senegalese politician and the Secretary-General of the Democratic League/Movement for the Labour Party .-Biography:Bathily was born in Tiyabu in Bakel Department...
of the Democratic League/Movement for the Labour Party (LD/MPT), Landing Savané
Landing Savané
Landing Savané is a Senegalese politician and the Secretary-General of And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism.-Political career:...
, a Minister of State and the Secretary-General of And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism
And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism
The And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism is a socialist political party in Senegal led by Landing Savané....
(AJ/PADS), Ziguinchor
Ziguinchor
Ziguinchor is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of over 230,000...
Mayor Robert Sagna
Robert Sagna
Robert Sagna is a Senegalese politician who served in the government of Senegal from 1978 to 2000 and was Mayor of Ziguinchor from 1984 to 2009. He has been a deputy in the National Assembly of Senegal since 2007.-Biography:...
, and former ambassador Modou Dia
Modou Dia
Modou Dia is a Senegalese politician and former diplomat. Dia has represented Senegal in Saudi Arabia, the Soviet Union, West Germany and Austria. He also was the Senegalese permanent representative to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference...
.
Issues
Wade faced criticism over a variety of issues, including unemployment and the continuing Casamance conflictCasamance Conflict
The Casamance Conflict is a low-level civil war that has been waged between the Government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance since 1982 over the question of independence for the Casamance region....
, as well as alleged corruption and the delays of the parliamentary election. Major construction projects undertaken by Wade split opinion in the country. Wade's campaign called for the people to give him a majority of the vote in the first round, but it was widely expected that a second round would be necessary, and Wade's opponents denied the possibility that he could legitimately win a first-round majority. Many politicians who had backed Wade in 2000 had since turned against him, which could be viewed as making it improbable that Wade would do as well in 2007; on the other hand, it has been pointed out that Senegal's demographics, with a high proportion of young people in the electorate, could make it difficult to compare the two elections.
Announcement of results
Shortly after the election was held, Prime Minister Macky SallMacky Sall
Macky Sall is a Senegalese politician. He was the Prime Minister of Senegal from April 2004 to June 2007 and was President of the National Assembly of Senegal from June 2007 to November 2008. He was the Mayor of Fatick from 2002 to 2008 and has held that post again since April 2009.Sall was a...
, who was also Wade's campaign manager, said that Wade had won the election in the first round with about 57% of the vote, based on initial results. According to results announced on March 1, Wade won about 1.9 million votes, about 55.9% of the total. Seck was in second place with 14.9% of the vote and Tanor Dieng was in third place with 13.6%. Voter turnout was said to be 70.5%. Wade won the most votes in 32 out of 34 of the country's departments, including a majority in 28 of them. Seck won the department of Thiès
Thiès Department
' is one of the departments of Senegal, located in the Thiès Region....
and Niasse won the department of Nioro
Nioro du Rip Department
' is one of the departments of Senegal, located in the Kaolack Region....
.
Abdoulaye Bathily's campaign rejected the results and alleged that there were flaws in the voting, saying that a person could be registered more than once, and that the ink used in voting, which was supposed to be indelible, could be washed off. Ousmane Tanor Dieng's spokesperson also rejected the results, and on March 5 Dieng filed a Constitutional Court appeal regarding alleged lack of transparency and irregularities.
Final results from the Constitutional Council on March 11 gave Wade 55.90%, Seck 14.92%, and Dieng 13.56%. The Council rejected appeals from Dieng and Bathily. Wade was sworn in on April 3 at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium in Dakar, with many African leaders and about 60,000 spectators in attendance.