Senegal ‘s general elections set for Sunday, as President Sall says no regrets postponing polls

DAKAR – Senegal’s President, Macky Sall, has said that he had no regrets for his attempts to postpone elections that were due to be held last month, sparking deadly protests in the country.

Sall said that the decision to delay the vote was not taken unilaterally, but was due to electoral concerns raised by members of parliament.

“I have no apology to make, I have done nothing wrong. I am speaking to you as President of the republic. All the actions that have been taken have been within the framework of the law and regulations,” President Sall said.

The BBC reported that Sall’s planned to delay the polls, which led to violent clashes and political tension across the country, were eventually overturned by the country’s top court.

The elections are due to be held on Sunday after a failed bid to push them to December.

Critics had accused the President of trying to extend his stay in power but Sall insisted that he would not stay a day longer even if Sunday’s vote presented no outright winner.

Last week, the main opposition leader and one of Sall’s fiercest critics Ousmane Sonko and his party’s presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye were released from prison under a presidential amnesty.

Sall denies that the charges against his rivals were politically motivated and he is standing down after serving two terms in office.

His ruling coalition party Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) has picked 62-year-old Amadou Ba to run for the presidency.

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