It is not yet clear when the government will set a new election date as ordered by the Constitutional Court.
Senegal's President Macky Sall has said he will end his term in April as expected, but has not given a new date for the presidential election initially scheduled for Sunday.
Sall, who is finishing two terms in office and has said he will not run again, postponed the election until December, citing unresolved disputes over who might run. But his measure was annulled by Senegal's Constitutional Court as illegal.
“On April 2, 2024, my mission at the head of Senegal ends,” the president said during a televised interview on Thursday, apparently ending suspicions that he could remain in office longer than expected.
“As for the date, we will see what results from the dialogue,” he added. “Elections can be held before or after April 2.”
It is not yet clear whether a new president can be elected before then.
The Constitutional Court ordered the government to set a new date for the elections as soon as possible and Sall has promised to comply, but a date has not yet been set.
Sall said Thursday that he would hold talks next week with political leaders, and then the timeline for the elections and what will happen after his term ends will become clearer.
“It is clear that the country cannot be left without a president. The dialogue will determine what happens next and I hope that after this dialogue there will be a consensus,” he stated.
Senegal has been seen as one of West Africa's most stable democracies, but disputes over elections have plunged the country into a political crisis that has sparked deadly protests. At least three people have been killed by security forces and dozens have been injured.
Opposition groups continue to pressure Sall to hold elections quickly and plan protests throughout the weekend. Sall has been accused of trying to cling to power, something the president has denied.
