By Emmanuel Onyango
Senegal’s tense presidential race highlights a clash of outlook in the West African country, long praised as a beacon of democracy in a tumultuous region, but now in the grasps of what is seen as its worst electoral crisis.
The nearly seven million voters will on Sunday decide whether to throw their lot behind 62-year old ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba, the fresh-from-prison opposition politician Bassirou Diomaye Faye or someone else among the nearly two dozen hopefuls.
Incumbent President Macky Sall, who came to power in 2012, is not seeking reelection because he is serving his constitutionally allowed second and final term in office.
The ruling coalition has promised stability and continuity but the opposition has vowed to press the reset button on the country’s “system" which it says favours the elite.
What is not in doubt though, is the tension sparked by outgoing President Macky Sall's attempt to delay the vote - originally scheduled for 25 February - until December.
The Constitutional Council overruled the president and he later announced March 24 as the new date for the elections that allowed for just two weeks for campaigns.
President Sall denied sparking political tensions. He also freed some of his fiercest critics to calm nerves ahead of the early awaited elections.
How did Senegal find itself in a turmoil that has left dozens of opposition killed and hundreds imprisoned?
Opposition politicians excluded
On January 21, the Constitutional Council published a final list of 20 candidates for the presidential election that excluded jailed opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and Karim Wade, the son of former president Abdoulaye Wade.
The decision fueled discontent about the election process. Hundreds of opposition were arrested after violent protests broke out.
The excluded candidates said the rules for candidacy were not applied fairly. The authorities denied this.
President postpones elections
A fortnight later, President Sall announced the indefinite postponement of the presidential election scheduled for February 25, just hours before official campaigning was due to start.
In an address to the nation, he announced an open national dialogue to bring together the conditions for a free, transparent and inclusive election.
He argued that the country needed more time to resolve controversies over the disqualification of some candidates and a conflict between the legislative and judicial branches of government.
It was the first time a Senegalese presidential election had been postponed since its independence from France in 1960.
The opposition denounced the move as an "institutional coup" but the government rejected allegations that the postponement was an attempted power grab.
The decision was subsequently approved by parliament and sparked international concern as hundreds of Senegalese took to the streets.
National dialogue
Political, religious and civic leaders participating in the president's "national dialogue" initiative proposed the presidential elections to be held on June 2.
The participants also recommended that President Sall, whose mandate will end on April 2, remain in office until his successor is sworn in.
They said there was a "broad consensus" in favour of the move, despite the opposition of a number of political and civil society actors to such an extension.
On February 5, lawmakers approved December 15 as the new election date after voting on a bill submitted to parliament by an opposition coalition.
This meant the president's mandate would be extended by 10 months which only served to inflame tensions. Police responded to the street demonstrations that followed with teargas and arrests.
Delay nullified
Within two weeks after the postponement of the election, Senegal's highest election authority, the Constitutional Council, overturned the decision to delay the election
The council ruled that President Sall's unprecedented decision was not in line with the constitution.
This followed legal challenges filed by opposition presidential candidates and lawmakers to the government decision.
The Constitutional Council asked "the competent authorities to hold it (election) as soon as possible". It insisted that it must be held before the end of Sall's term on April 2.
New date accepted
The president and the national dialogue finally agreed to hold Senegal’s election on March 24. The decision was also approved by the Council of Ministers, according to an official statement.
The campaign period was also shortened from 21 to 17 days.
Political prisoners freed
As part of an amnesty law passed earlier by parliament, government opponents were released from prison on 14 March.
The amnesty was part of President Sall's response to bring "appeasement to the political space".
Those released included firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and his second-in-command, 43-year old presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Motorists and pedestrians waving Senegalese flags gathered at the prison south of Dakar where the two opponents had been detained.
Campaigns end
Over seven million registered citizens are expected to vote at more than 16,000 polling stations to pick a successor to Sall, who ruled for 12 years.
After the last-minute withdrawal of two candidates, 17 contenders remain in the race for the presidency.
Under Senegal’s electoral system, a candidate needs to secure more than 50% of the vote to win and avoid a runoff.
According to the constitution, if no candidate secures this amount, a second round of voting should be held on the third Sunday after the result announcement.
Presidential candidates made their final pitches to voters on Friday, marking the end of a rushed campaign period
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