DAKAR – Senegal’s Macky Sall claimed victory yesterday in a hotly contended presidential election over incumbent Abdoulaye Wade, who quickly conceded defeat in a move that could bolster the West African state’s democratic credentials.
Thousands of residents of the capital, Dakar, poured on to the streets overnight, honking car horns, beating drums and singing in hope of change after 12 years of rule by Mr Wade that has seen major investment in infrastructure, but little progress in tackling poverty.
“The big winner tonight is the Senegalese people,” Mr Sall (50) said of a smoothly held election that contrasted with the chaos in neighbouring Mali after last week’s coup by army mutineers.
“We have shown to the world our democracy is mature. I will be the president of all the Senegalese,” said Mr Sall, a former prime minister for Mr Wade who acrimoniously split from his mentor in 2008.
Mr Wade (85) in power since 2000, began his career as president with a sterling democratic reputation but drew criticism for seeking to extend his rule with a third term, setting off street protests in which six people were killed.
“Results coming in suggest Mr Macky Sall has won. As I always promised, I called him in the evening of March 25th to congratulate him,” said Mr Wade, who faced pressure from France, the United States and others not to stand for a new term.
Mr Sall campaigned for Sunday’s election on lowering the cost of living for Senegalese, including by cutting taxes on rice. He had criticised Mr Wade for pursuing vanity projects – including an African Renaissance Monument standing slightly taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty – instead of helping poor Senegalese. The election was the latest test for democracy in a region plagued by bloodshed and flawed votes, including Ivory Coast’s which triggered a civil war last year.
Senegal is the only nation in mainland West Africa not to have seen a coup or civil war since independence.
“It took only a few hours for Wade to admit he had lost, as early results showed that he was trailing by a wide margin,” said Samir Gadio at Standard Bank.
“A peaceful power shift will boost Senegal’s institutional credentials and historical reputation of political stability,” he said. – (Reuters)