Senegal: Bassirou Diomaye Faye wins presidential vote

Senegal’s opposition candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has won the country’s presidential election held over the weekend.

“By electing me, the Senegalese people have chosen to break with the past,” he told reporters on Monday.

“I promise to govern with humility and transparency.”

The ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba has already called him to concede victory, according to government officials.

His concession almost confirms Faye’s victory in the election which was delayed amid chaos triggered by incumbent president Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the vote.

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“Considering the trends of the presidential election results and awaiting the official declaration, I congratulate the president Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye on his victory in the first round,” Ba said in a statement on Monday.

Ba is not the only candidate in the race that has conceded defeat. Several of the other 15 candidates have done same.

To win in the first round, a candidate must gain more than 50%. Opposition supporters though say the results won’t be disputed, making a run-off election unlikely.

Mr Faye, 44 only got released from prison ahead of the vote. He had been in prison 10 days before the vote and campaigned on the promise of radical change.

He ran as an independent candidate but had support from Ousmane Sonko, the popular figure who many thought would succeed Mr Sall.

Mr Sonko was disqualified from the election because of a defamation conviction, which he said was politically motivated.

Senegal’s President rejects blame in delayed poll that sparked chaos

Source: Africafeeds.com