Protests continue afoot in Senegal which was until recently one of Africa’s most stable countries. The protests were sparked by the country’s President’s announcement that he intended to seek a third term in forthcoming elections in February. Critics say that President Abdoulaye Wade’s move violates the terms of the country’s constitution which limits the number of terms the incumbent can serve as President to two. At the time of writing, global news outlets report that several people had lost their lives in the violence, the result of confrontations between protesters and the Police. Disturbingly, there have also been reports of security services firing live rounds into congregating protesters.
The winds of change have blown ever so slightly in the country since June 2011 when critics alleged that Mr Wade’s proposed constitutional amendments were designed to facilitate the promotion of his son, Karim Wade, who is also currently the country’s Energy Minister to the position of Vice-President. As a result of that uprising, the June 23 movement (M23) was borne with its aim being the organisation of “national resistance” until President Wade renounces his intentions to pursue a third term in power.
The protests have intensified since 27th January of this year when the Conseil Constitutional (Constitutional Court) of Senegal approved Wade’s candidacy along with several others but rejected the candidacy of three independent candidates, including that of the country’s most famous son, Youssou N’dour. The Court was tasked with deciding whether Wade had violated Article 27 of the constitution which limits presidential terms to two and ruling on whether Wade had been validly nominated by his party. The latter issue being the result of claims by his opponents that he had been nominated by two parties, the first of which was his Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) who he has represented for most of his political life, and the second being a conglomerate of unregistered parties. The country’s constitution disallows the nomination of a candidate by an unregistered party or by two parties.
In this vein, the Court upheld Wade’s claim that he was exempt from the application of the 2001 constitutional amendment engineered by Wade himself, as he had been elected a year before its adoption by the country. The Court also ruled that it Wade’s Democratic Party (PDS) which had nominated him and not the improperly constituted and unregistered alliance of parties, the “Forces Alliees 2012” or “Allied Forces 2012”. At the same time the Court invalidated the candidacy of N’dour, Abdourahmane Sarr and Keba Keinde on the grounds that Article 28 of its constitution prohibited individuals from standing for elections without the support of a registered political party or in the alternative, the endorsing signatures of 10000 registered voters verifiable by the Constitutional Court.
The decision was met with derision and outrage by many, most of whom allege that the country’s five Constitutional Court judges are on the payroll of Wade himself. With the first round of elections set to take place on 26 February, many fear that the incumbent who will be 92 at the end of another tenure lacks the energy to force through the bold reforms which he championed following his assumption of power in 2000. The conflict ravaged African continent can certainly do without further instability, this time in a country which is supposed to be a beacon of democratic values. The intimidation of opposition figures, arrest of human rights activists and shooting of unarmed protesters has gained the attention of the United Nations (UN). The organisation’s Human Rights chief, Navi Pillay, in a press communiqué stated: “The reports of excessive use of force by Police in response to violence by some protesters are very disturbing given Senegal’s tradition of respect for freedom of association, assembly and expression.” She added: “Senegal has a good record of peaceful democratic elections and traditions which could easily be jeopardised if the current extremely tense situation spirals into further acts of violent retribution”.
The allegations of nepotism and claims that Wade is running the country like a personal fiefdom bears similarities with Gabon’s Omar Bongo and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak who groomed and positioned their sons to take over office in their respective countries. The former succeeded while the latter was toppled by his people in the process. Judging by the scale of protests and the fervour being exhibited by the Senegalese people, Wade is more than likely to experience the fate which befell the latter than the passive resistance met by the former whilst installing his son as President.
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