Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade: «Winner of free, fair and transparent elections.»

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afrol News, 1 March - At last, President Abdoulaye Wade is confirmed the winner of the Sunday's Presidential polls by the country's electoral commission. Mr Wade, 81, succeeded in his second bid in office after polling close to 56 percent of the vote, thus dashing the hopes of his challengers who said second round voting is a must. He first came to power in 2000.

Mr Wade beat 14 others contenders in the polls. The Supreme Court is given until Friday to confirm the results.

President Wade's former Prime Minister, Idrissa Seck, ranks second with 15 percent while Ousmane Tanor Dieng, the candidate for the formerly ruling Parti Socialiste polled 13 percent.

But some opposition leaders rejected the polls, claiming that the win contradicts the feelings of the Senegalese.

Mr Tanor Dieng and Abdoulaye Bachilly, both challengers of Mr Wade, faulted the results.

However, international election observers have endorsed the polls as free, fair and transparent.

Officials of the Parti Socialiste (PS), which ruled Senegal for 40 years until 2000 when Mr Wade ousted them from office, said they were ready to challenge the results in court.

The spokesperson of the PS leader, Aissata Tall Sall, reacted to the results saying, "a President who has not been elected cannot lead the country." Ms Sall told a news conference that the PS would not accept the results and was ready to contest them through legal means.

Even before the electoral commission had officially declared the results, President Wade's campaign manager, Macky Sall, said their party's candidate swept the polls in the first round. He therefore urged the 14 contenders of President Wade to concede defeat.

But the opposition's Ms Sall argued that the results were bound to too many irregularities in the issuing of voter cards. She said some voter cards were even issued on the polling day, which violates the law.

President Wade in 2000 was brought to power in a second round of voting after galvanising support from other opposition parties. He has however fallen apart with most of them, some of who now turn against him.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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