DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal votes Sunday in a tightly contested presidential election that has fired up political tensions and tested one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.
The election will take place after much uncertainty following President Macky Sall’s unsuccessful effort to delay the vote until the end of the year, sparking violent protests.
In the latest turn of events leading up to Sunday’s vote, opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was released from prison last week, triggering jubilant celebrations on the streets of Dakar and renewed excitement about the contest.
Sunday’s election is set to be Senegal’s fourth democratic transfer of power since it gained independence from France in 1960. The country is viewed as a pillar of stability in a region that has seen dozens of coups and attempted coups in recent years.
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This is the best summary I could come up with:
The election will take place after much uncertainty following President Macky Sall’s unsuccessful effort to delay the vote until the end of the year, sparking violent protests.
In the latest turn of events leading up to Sunday’s vote, opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was released from prison last week, triggering jubilant celebrations on the streets of Dakar and renewed excitement about the contest.
Alioune Tine, founder of Afrikajom, a Senegalese think tank, told the Associated Press that Sunday’s election had set a grim record in the country’s democratic history, with rights groups accusing Sall’s government of repressing the media, civil society and the opposition.
Faye was also freed from prison last week, in time to spend the final days of the run-up to Sunday’s vote on the campaign trail.
Anta Babacar Ngom, the first woman to run for president in years, is the only female presidential candidate in the race, but few expect her to gain a significant share of the vote.
“Loosening the knot has tempered things a little, and has brought a bit of calm to the public arena,” said Rokhiatou Gassama, a civil society election observer.
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