President Abdoulaye Wade: «I am able to achieve the mission that is entrusted to me.»

© afrol / Frédéric de La Mure / Gouvt. française

afrol News, 19 October - It will be in five months, when Senegalese electorate go the polls to elect their President, but political talks have already taken centre stage in the country. The main intrigue is around President Abdoulaye Wade and his former, highly-skilled Prime Minister, Idrissa Seck, a favourite of the media.

25 February is the date set aside for the presidential and parliamentary elections in Senegal, one of Africa's fastest growing democracies. President Wade, whose ruling People's Democratic Party (PDS) endorsed his candidature for the race at the weekend, will face his former Prime Minister, Idrissa Seck. President Wade was elected in 2000 after he had lost previous elections in 1978, 83, 88 and 93.

Mr Seck, a former influential member of PDS, wants to run in the ticket of his newly created party, Rewmi, which means "The Nation" in the indigenous language Wolof. Senegalese authorities this month barred Rewmi from registering because it does not fulfil constitutional requirement. According to Senegalese law, any party that wants to participate in elections must be registered at least one year two months before the date of election.

Mr Wade and Mr Seck had got an axe to grind, which led to the arrest and detention in prevention custody for eight months of Mr Seck. He was implicated in a corruption case and mismanagement of fund meant to reconstruct the road from Dakar to Thiès, Mr Seck's electoral stronghold.

The thus-PM had denied the claims, saying the action was a mere political tactic to prevent him from running for President. His troubles began after he had earlier declared his intention to run for President. He eventually stepped down from his post in April 2004.

President Wade, who had earlier expressed his interest in running for a second term, said he would run for President provided "my party invests in my candidature." Political observers who spoke to afrol News said the move does not come without a surprise.

The 80-year-old president was confident of victory in 2007 and therefore invited his opponents to join him. "When I say come to work with me, it does not mean that I am not able to achieve the mission that is entrusted to me," he said, adding he is ready to work with those who want to defend the interest of Senegal and its people.

Despite mustering the advantage of incumbency, analysts believe that Mr Wade has lost the support of Senegalese, especially residents of the capital Dakar. "His slogan for change was that Senegalese will have better conditions of living, but this is far from happening, as cost of living continues to skyrocket. Wade's regime has concentrated too much on infrastructural development at the expense of living," said a Dakar driver.

The fact that Mr Wade has given his party congress the task to nominate him is enough reason to prove his opponents' view that he (Wade) owns PDS. President Wade rubbished such claims after the congress. "PDS does not only belong to its Secretary-General but its militants and other leaders in charge. We draw our legitimacy from the charter of the militants," he said.

While expressing thanks to party members for reposing confidence in him, the President described PDS as a party that does not resemble any other political party with convinced and determined militants.

However, the weekend nomination was marred by some hitches and blights, with some party militants expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of the affairs. Besides, several party members were asked to swallow their messages they had for President Wade. Mr Wade asked angry members to calm down because "word could not be given to everyone due to the necessity for conciseness and economy of time."

Other political parties are also said to be on the road to congress that will name their presidential candidate. It is rumoured that two outstanding politicians are vying for the ticket of the defeated Socialist Party of Senegal (PSS), which ruled the country from 1960 until 2000. They are Ousman Ngum and Robert Sagnia, the current mayor of Ziguinchor, capital of Senegal's southern province of Casamance.

Meanwhile, Mr Seck however dominates the front pages of the Senegalese independent press almost every day. His speeches, political alliances, meeting with local, national and foreign politicians are given broad publicity, and the ex-PM is widely described as the country's most skilled politician. Besides the President, he has certainly developed into the most known politician, at least in urban areas, where the private press has its largest influence.

The February polls by now seem totally open. While President Wade can count on the positive effects of incumbency and daily state media coverage - which is particularly important in rural areas - Mr Seck is doing increasingly well among urban voters. Also the PSS, if it can flock around a single candidate, can never be ignored, as nostalgia for the pre-Wade years are spreading on the countryside. With Mr Sagnia, it could easily win the important Casamance region.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories