Senegal’s opposition coalition has disputed the ruling party’s announcement of winning a majority in the parliament following Sunday’s legislative election. The coalition, which includes former presidential candidate Ousmane Sonko, said it had defeated President Macky Sall’s party in most of the country’s administrative departments.
Sall’s party, led by former prime minister Aminata Toure, said on Monday it had won 30 of the 46 departments, giving it an “unquestionable majority” of the 165 parliamentary seats. Toure did not provide a breakdown of the seats won by each party.
The opposition coalition, known as Wallu Senegal, said in a statement that along with an allied coalition, Yewwi Askane Wi, it had “lost the elections” and that Sall would not have a majority in the National Assembly. It accused the ruling party of trying to “usurp” the people’s will and called for a transparent and fair counting of the votes.
The election was marred by violence and controversy, as Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, faced a trial on libel charges that he says are politically motivated. He was also disqualified from running for parliament on technical grounds. Sonko’s supporters clashed with security forces in several cities last month, leaving at least one person dead.
The election is seen as a test of Sall’s popularity and his ambition to run for a third term in 2024. Sall has refused to rule out breaching term limits, sparking fears of a constitutional crisis in the West African nation. The opposition hopes to gain control of the parliament and block Sall’s potential bid for re-election.
Senegal is widely regarded as one of the most stable democracies in the region, but it has faced growing social and economic challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The official results of the election are expected to be announced by the National Vote Counting Commission later this week.