Dakar, Senegal——

Anti-establishment figure Basilou Diomaye Faye handily won Senegal’s presidential election with 54.28 percent of the vote in the first round, official provisional results showed on Wednesday.

He is well ahead of the ruling coalition candidate, former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, who received 35.79%.

Faye was released from prison just 10 days before the election, and his victory remains to be verified by Senegal’s top constitutional body, which could happen within days.

Faye, 44, who would become the youngest president in Senegal’s history, said he wanted a “break” with the current political system.

It will be the first time since independence from France in 1960 that an opponent has won in the first round.

Aliou Mamadou Dia ranked third among the 19 candidates officially listed, according to figures read out in a Dakar court by the head of the National Counting Commission, Amadi Diouf. Winning only 2.8% of the vote.

While Faye’s victory in Sunday’s vote was already clear after unofficial partial results were released, Faye’s margin of victory was confirmed by a counting commission governed by the judicial branch.

The 61.30% turnout was lower than in 2019, when outgoing President Macky Sall won a second term in the first round, but higher than in 2012.

The release of official provisional results appeared to clear the way for a transfer of power between Sall and his successor.

The political crisis triggered by Saar’s last-minute postponement of the vote, and the hasty election timetable that followed, cast doubt on whether the current president can complete the transfer of power before his term officially ends on April 2.

But a quick transfer now appears feasible as long as no appeals are filed for the West African country, which prides itself on its stability and democratic principles in the coup-hit region.

Presidential candidates have 72 hours after the committee announces their results to appeal to the Constitutional Council.

The constitution states that if no appeal is lodged within this period, “the Council shall forthwith declare the final result of the vote”.

But if an objection is raised, the council has five days to make a ruling that could theoretically annul the election.

Faye, who has never held elected office before, will be the fifth president of the West African country of about 18 million people.

His victory was acknowledged by his fellow presidential candidates and by Sall.

Sunday’s election follows three years of tension and deadly unrest in Senegal, which was plunged into a new political crisis in February when Sal decided to postpone presidential elections.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds arrested since 2021, putting the country’s democratic credentials under scrutiny.

Faye himself was detained for several months during the campaign before being released.

International observers praised the smooth conduct of Sunday’s vote.

African Union observer mission praises “the political and democratic maturity of the Senegalese people and the generally peaceful political climate surrounding the presidential elections”

Faye promised to restore the country’s “sovereignty” and implement a program of “left-wing pan-Africanism.”

WATCH: Senegal’s president-elect vows to fight corruption, rebuild institutions

His election could herald a profound reform of Senegalese institutions.

On Monday, he pledged to “govern with humility, transparency and fight corruption at every level.”

He said he would prioritize “national reconciliation,” “rebuilding institutions” and “significant reductions in the cost of living.”

But he also sought to reassure foreign partners.

He promised that Senegal “will continue to be a friendly country and a reliable ally to any partner with whom we engage in sound, respectful and mutually beneficial cooperation.”