Sall also stated that he is committed to carrying out without delay the nece ssary consultations for the organisation of the presidential election [in Senegal] as soon as possible.
A bill that pushed back the February 25 poll and plunged the country into electoral uncertainty was overturned on Thursday by Senegal’s Constitutional Council, according to Reuters.
It follows the decision of Senegal’s top election authority to void the president’s postponement of a presidential election.
It ruled that the decision to do so was unconstitutional.
Sall “has taken note” of the council’s decision and request for the election to be held as soon as possible, the presidency said in a statement on Friday.
“The president intends to fully execute the constitutional council’s decision,” it added.
Sall has been under significant pressure to accept the ruling. The week-long electoral crisis has already led to violent protests and warnings of authoritarian overreach in one of coup-hit West Africa’s more stable democracies.
Opposition leaders, West Africa’s main economic and political bloc ECOWAS, and foreign powers including the United States and France urged authorities earlier on Friday to comply with the judgement and quickly set a new date for the election.
He had announced in July last year that he would not seek a third term in office.
Sall was due to leave office on April 2, 2024, following a failed move to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally permitted limit.
However, a few weeks before the scheduled February 25 presidential election, Sall announced the postponement of the election.
Sall previously said he delayed the election due to a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption within the Constitutional Council that he warned would undermine the credibility of the poll. The council has denied the accusations, as reported by Reuters.
