Former Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba Congratulates Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Presidential Victory
The political landscape of Senegal has taken a significant turn as former Prime Minister Amadou Ba has conceded defeat to leading opposition figure Bassirou Diomaye Faye in the presidential elections held on March 20, 2023. In a statement released on Monday, Ba acknowledged the provisional results and congratulated Faye on his victory in the first round of the elections.
Ba, a prominent figure from the ruling coalition, expressed his wishes for Faye’s success and well-being of the Senegalese people. His statement came shortly after Outgoing President Macky Sall also congratulated Faye on the smooth running of the elections and described it as a victory for Senegalese democracy.
Preliminary unofficial results showed Faye securing an impressive 57% of the votes while Ba trailed behind with 31%, according to independent Senegalese radio station, Futurs Médias. Several opposition candidates, including Anta Babacar Ngom and Dethie Fall, had conceded defeat to Faye earlier. Khalifa Sall, another presidential candidate, also congratulated Faye on Monday.
Ba, who vacated his position as prime minister earlier in March to pursue the Senegalese presidency, urged people to remain calm while waiting for official results. The Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CEN) official stated that the official results will be announced by Saturday at the latest.
Faye, a 44-year-old former tax inspector and political detainee who had been imprisoned since April last year until his release on March 14, was chosen as a backup and restore candidate for popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Sonko was barred from the polls due to his conviction in an earlier defamation case. Both men were released 11 days ago after President Sall granted amnesty to political prisoners.
Despite the shortened campaign period, Faye and Sonko, who enjoys significant support among Senegalese youth, sparked intense debates across the country. Faye promised to peacefully hand over power to his elected successor after President Sall’s attempts to delay the election were thwarted by the country’s top court.
President Sall, whose second and final term in office expires on April 2, vowed to ensure a peaceful transition of power after the election.