Senegalese opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to be declared the country’s next president after his rivals in the ruling coalition called him on Monday to concede defeat.
Results from the first round of the delayed presidential election, since polls closed on Sunday night, quickly showed that Faye, 44, may have won an outright majority. The trend announced by local media triggered celebrations in the streets of the capital Dakar by his supporters.
Amadou Ba, 62, the ruling coalition candidate, initially called the celebrations premature and said a runoff vote would be needed to determine the winner.
But a government spokesman told reporters he later called Faye on Monday to offer his congratulations.
“Given the trend of the presidential election results, and while we await the official announcement, I congratulate Faye on his victory in the first round,” Ba said in a statement.
A peaceful transition of power in Senegal would mark a boost for democracy in West Africa, which has seen eight military coups since 2020.
Some of the military juntas that have seized power have cut ties with the region’s traditional power brokers, such as France and the United States, and have turned to Russia for help in fighting a jihadist insurgency spreading across Senegal’s neighbors.
Senegal’s international bonds rose on reports that Faye was close to being declared the winner, reversing sharp losses earlier in the day.
The Dakar Court of Appeal is expected to announce the official results on Friday. The Electoral Commission has yet to announce the results of the 15,633 polling stations counted so far.
Many hope the vote will bring stability and economic growth to Senegal, one of West Africa’s only stable democracies that will begin producing oil and gas this year after three years of unprecedented political turmoil.
“I’m happy to see a wind of change,” said Tal, who joined revelers at night as supporters waved Senegalese flags, lit flares and blew vuvuzelas, molded plastic trumpets ).
“It’s great because democracy has won. A lot of people thought it wouldn’t happen,” he said, wishing only to be identified by his first name.
young voters
That night, several opposition contenders also conceded defeat to Faye, including the only female candidate, Anta Babacar Ngom.
Ba is a candidate backed by outgoing President Macky Sall, who is resigning after his popularity dropped after two terms due to economic difficulties and the impact of violent anti-government protests.
Fahey has not spoken publicly since the vote. He owes much of his success to the support of firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was banned from running on libel charges.
The two former tax inspectors campaigned together under the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko”, promising to fight corruption and prioritize the country’s economic interests.
They are especially popular among younger voters in a country where more than 60% of people are under 25 and where it is difficult to find work.
The opposition has been emboldened by a police crackdown on protests, the government’s failure to ease rising living costs and concerns that Sall will seek to extend his term beyond constitutional limits.
Anger over Sonko’s indictment intensified as authorities sought to postpone a vote scheduled for February by 10 months.
At the same time, investors are wary of possible changes in the leadership of an anti-establishment government that may not pursue the business-friendly policies that attracted infrastructure investment during Saar’s government.
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