DAKAR, Senegal, March 29, 2024 — On Wednesday, Senegal’s outgoing president asked his government to take all necessary steps to ensure a smooth handover to his elected successor.
President Macky Sall on Thursday, March 28, received at the presidential palace his elected successor, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, after the latter’s victory following the March 24, 2024 election.
During their first encounter, national television RTS reported that the two leaders held in-depth talks on the crucial issues facing the state, addressing in particular the priority files as well as the logistical details of the swearing-in and handover ceremony.
After this first official contact, a tour of the presidential palace was organised for the incoming president.
Ousmane Sonko, president of the former Patriotes Africains du Senegal pour le Travail, l’Ethique et la Fraternité (PASTEF), which was dissolved by the outgoing government last July, is regarded as the main architect of Diomaye Faye’s victory in the presidential election.
On Wednesday, President Sall asked the government, the Secretary General of the Presidency and the Secretary General of the Government to “take all the necessary steps” to ensure, in particular, the preparation of the handover.
On the same day, the National Commission for the Counting of Votes, under the direction of the First President of the Court of Appeal, Amady Diouf, announced the provisional results of the presidential election of March 24.
The results confirmed the victory of the candidate of the Diomaye President coalition with 54.28 percent of the valid votes cast, followed by Amadou Ba, candidate of Benno Bokk Yaakaar (United in Hope, in Wolof), who obtained 35.79 percent.
The Constitutional Council has three days to announce the final results.
AU CONGRATULATES SENEGAL’S PRESIDENT-ELECT
Meanwhile, The President of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, offered his ‘sincere congratulations’ to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his election to the presidency of Senegal.
The Chadian diplomat expressed his “best wishes for the success of Mr. Diomaye Faye in his crucial mission to strengthen a peaceful, stable and inclusive democracy that fosters shared prosperity.”
Mahamat emphasised the unanimous support of the entire Senegalese political class for the results of the presidential elections, underlining the respect and responsibility of the political and social players.
He noted that this exemplary attitude confirms the solid anchoring of democratic traditions in this country, considered to be a beacon of democracy in Africa.
Last Wednesday, the National Commission for the Counting of Votes, headed by the First President of the Court of Appeal, Amady Diouf, announced the provisional results of the presidential election of
March 24, confirming the victory of the candidate of the Diomaye for President Coalition with a score of 54.28 percent of valid votes cast, followed by Amadou Ba, candidate of Benno Bokk Yaakaar (United in Hope, in Wolof), who obtained 35.79 percent.
Pending confirmation of these results by the Constitutional Council, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was received at the palace by Macky Sall on Thursday.
The meeting, which took place in the presence of Ousmane Sonko, leader of the former PASTEF (dissolved for calling for insurrection), was intended to discuss priority issues as well as the logistical details of the swearing-in and handover ceremony scheduled for 2 April.
Congratulated by a number of African and world leaders, Bassirou Diomaye Faye gave assurances in his first speech on Monday that Senegal would honour its commitments to its international partners.
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