SENEGAL
That’s Sall, Folks
As expected, Senegal’s Constitutional Court has barred two prominent opposition figures from running against President Macky Sall in next month’s election, due to their convictions for the misuse of public funds. But their exclusion could undermine the legitimacy of the vote.
The seven-member court on Monday rejected the candidacies of former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall and ex-minister Karim Wade, while clearing the incumbent president and four other candidates to contest the Feb. 24 vote, Agence France-Presse reported. The two excluded candidates have until Jan. 20 to appeal the decision.
Currently, the candidates squaring off against Sall include a former prime minister, an associate of a former president and two other opposition leaders, the agency said, noting that Senegal is seen as a model of democracy in Africa.
The exclusion of the two candidates poses “an enormous risk” to that reputation, however, said Amnesty International’s regional director, Alioune Tine, as various international and regional organizations have questioned the fairness of the trials that convicted them.
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