A collective of about 40 Senegalese civil society teams on Friday rejected the president's plan to go away open the date for the postponed presidential election as a result of it should be held earlier than his time period ends on April 2.
President Macky Sall has confronted growing calls to set a date for the election after his abrupt postponement of the February 25 election sparked weeks of political disaster.
However in a tv interview late Thursday, he postponed a call on the date till after a dialogue with political and social actors that was because of begin on Monday.
Sall mentioned he hoped to succeed in an settlement Tuesday night.
One of many organizers of the Aar Sunu Election (Defend our Election) collective, Elimane Haby Kane, informed AFP this was a “delaying tactic”.
He added that the president's deliberate dialogue “is senseless.”
The opposition has labeled Sall's last-minute determination to postpone the vote a “constitutional coup”, saying his celebration feared defeat on the poll field.
The delay roiled the historically secure West African nation and led to unrest that left 4 individuals lifeless.
Senegal's highest constitutional physique reversed the postponement final week and known as for the elections to be held “as rapidly as attainable”.
On Thursday, Sall emphasised that his mandate would finish on April 2 as deliberate.
However he left open the query of when the vote would happen. When pressed, he added that he didn't suppose this may be attainable earlier than April 2.
Sall, who has been in energy since 2012, mentioned he postponed the election partly due to considerations a few return to unrest in 2021 and final yr.
He has since insisted he needs dialogue to calm tensions and promote peace and reconciliation.
In an obvious try and calm public opinion, Sall mentioned on Thursday he would contemplate releasing jailed opposition figures Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
'Sweeten the capsule'
When requested about an election date, Sall careworn that the upcoming dialogue would determine “whether or not a consensus could be reached on the best way ahead.”
If no settlement is reached, he mentioned, it will likely be as much as Senegal's Constitutional Council to determine.
“Our place is (earlier than) April 2, in any other case there will probably be a disaster,” mentioned Malick Diop, one of many organizers of the Aar Sunu elections.
The collective mobilized a number of thousand individuals within the capital Dakar final weekend and is sticking to the deliberate conferences for the approaching days.
A bunch of 16 presidential candidates would converse at round 11 a.m. (native time and GMT) on Friday after holding discussions since Thursday night, coordinator Cheikh Youm mentioned.
One candidate, Thierno Alassane Sall – no relation to the president – accused Sall on social media of recent maneuvers to remain in workplace.
He mentioned he suspected the president would choose divided individuals for the dialogue after which use a scarcity of consensus to remain on till the switch of energy, after April 2.
“To sweeten the capsule, Macky Sall is providing us amnesty,” he added.
Throughout Thursday's interview, Sall mentioned he was contemplating the potential of provisional launch, pardons or an amnesty legislation for opposition figures.
