Senegal's former President Macky Sall will run for Member of Parliament in the country's November 17 parliamentary elections.
Sall's political party, the Alliance for the Republic (APR), is in a coalition arrangement with other opposition parties, including the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) of former President Abdoulaye Wade.
Sall's coalition is called Takku Wallu Senegal, to mean "Let's Unite to Save Senegal" in the local Wolof language.
The coalition, formed in September, hopes to secure a majority in the 165-member parliament.
Parliament dissolved
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dissolved parliament in September and called for legislative elections on November 17.
He said at the time that the opposition-controlled parliament had made it difficult for him to implement his government's agenda.
In Senegal, political parties share their lists of candidates with the electoral commission (CENA) ahead of parliamentary elections.
On voting day, the citizens directly vote for their preferred list.
Sall tops list of opposition coalition
Upon tallying of results, the list that receives the highest number of votes, takes all the seats in a district.
There are 112 parliamentary seats that are filled through this method.
The remaining 53 parliamentary seats would thereafter be filled based on their percentage of the votes secured nationally.
Former President Sall tops the list of names proposed for parliament by Takku Wallu Senegal coalition.
Keeping government in check
Sall, who recently accepted his nomination for parliamentary seat, said he will run for parliament to keep the government in check.
The former president said the gains his administration made, mainly economic, have been "eroded" under President Faye's rule.
Faye's administration however says it inherited a "poorly managed" government.
Sixty-two-year-old Sall served as Senegal's fourth president from 2012 to 2024.
More than 30 parties taking part in elections
A 2016 national referendum reduced the presidential term from seven to five years, renewable once, starting from 2019 onwards.
Sall left office in early April, when 44-year-old Faye replaced him.
At the ballot box on November 17, his coalition will face off against the ruling PASTEF party, led by President Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
Over 30 other parties will also participate in the elections.
Nearly 7.4 million voters
A parliamentary term in Senegal is five years, with no limit on the number of times a person can run.
It is important to note Sall may win a parliamentary seat, but willingly surrender his position to another top-listed member of his coalition.
There are nearly 7.4 million registered voters in Senegal, a country of about 18 million people.
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