Senegal headed to the polls, on Sunday, to vote in a legislative election that the president hopes will give his party the clear majority it needs to implement an ambitious agenda for reforms.
The heated campaign period has revived concerns about unrest as political rivals clashed, sometimes violently.
The West African nation saw some of the worst political violence in recent history ahead of the presidential election in March.
Voting in his Ndiaganiao home town, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye urged the electorates to remain calm, no matter the outcome.
“I once again call on voters… to show serenity, commit to the peaceful route and to accept the popular will that will be expressed through the ballot box.”
Polls opened at 8.00 a.m. (0800 GMT) and closed at 6.00 p.m. with a timetable for results still to be announced.
More than seven million registered voters will have the chance to vote for candidates for the 165-seat assembly, choosing among 41 registered parties and other entities.
At stake is Faye’s mandate to make good on promises to crack down on corruption and improve livelihoods that helped sweep him to power in April, following a landslide election victory.
The top priorities for Senegalese voters are jobs and the economy, as inflation has squeezed livelihoods and the nation;s growing youth population struggles to find employment. Many are impatient for change.
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Faye says his commitment to help has been stymied by the opposition-led assembly, which he dissolved in September to pave the way for Sunday’s vote.
People patiently waited at a polling station in a school in the Dakar suburb of Parcelle unite, where several said they were voting for Faye’s party, Pastef.
“I hope they will address the issue our population faces. I want these elections to go smoothly and for them (Pastef) to get to work. We have faith in their programme,” El Baye Toure said in the leafy schoolyard.
Faye’s government is also grappling with slower-than-projected growth and a worsening budget deficit.
In September, government audit revealed that Senegal’s debt and budget deficit were much wider than the previous administration had reported. This is causing the fiscal crisis to spiral.
A $1.9 billion IMF programme agreed in June 2023 has been on hold since the discovery.
The main threat to the ambitions of Faye’s Pastef party is the unexpected alliance of two opposition parties, including the Republic party (APR) headed by former Prime Minister, Macky Sall.
The race also includes two smaller opposition coalitions. One, led by Dakar’s Mayor Barthelemy Dias, has clashed with supporters of Pastef. (Reuters)
