Senegal will hold a presidential election on Sunday, following a period of uncertainty and delay (Mar. 24).
Supporters of Senegal’s sole female presidential contender, Anta Babacar, and protégée of Ousmane Sonko, Bassirous Diomaye Faye, were optimistic in the narrow streets of Dakar’s fabric market on Wednesday, March 20.
“We have faith in Diomaye to support us in our efforts to deter young people from traveling by boat to live elsewhere. We have what they are seeking for here. Senegal is wealthy, but our leadership is lacking,” market vendor Samba remarked.
Isseu belongs to a group of people who back Anta Babacar.
Wearing a hat from Babacar and displaying video from a rally she went to, Diack declares, “We women need to organize.” Together, we can gather all the women. All that men undertake, women can take on too. Anta is capable.”
“What a man can do, a woman can do. Men put on their pants, we put on our skirts. We women must organize. We can get all the women together. Everything men take on, women can take on too. Anta is capable.”
19 candidates seek to succeed to Macky Sall. The ruling party nominated Sall’s former prime minister Amadou Ba.
The youth vote in this election, according to Babacar Ndiaye, a political analyst with the Dakar-based think tank WATHI, will be crucial.
“The majority of people in Senegal are young people. The population under 35 makes up 75% of the total. Questions like the economy, employment, and the development of industry have come up throughout this presidential election.
There are 7.3 million registered voters in Senegal.
It is said that this year’s presidential election will be the most unpredictable yet, and pundits anticipate a runoff between the front-runners.
(Senenews)
