By means of Thomas Naadi in Ndiaganiao & Natasha Booty in LondonBBC News24 March 2024Image caption, Seven million other folks, some observed right here queuing in Ndiaganiao, are eligible to votePeople in Senegal had been vote casting for a brand new president in a behind schedule election after weeks of political unrest.Lengthy queues of citizens have been witnessed around the nation as they flocked to make a choice from 17 presidential applicants.After he voted, outgoing President Macky Sall warned applicants in opposition to making untimely claims of victory.The election were because of happen remaining month however Mr Sall postponed it, triggering fatal opposition protests and a democratic disaster.Seven million other folks have been eligible to vote within the principally Muslim West African country, which had till then been praised as a bastion of democracy within the area.Polling stations are actually final after a in large part calm day of vote casting as most of the people are returning house to arrange to wreck their rapid, which occurs at sundown all the way through the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.Amongst the ones within the working for Senegal’s best task is the governing BBY coalition’s candidate, former Top Minister Amadou Ba, 62. After casting his poll within the capital, Dakar, he mentioned he used to be “very assured” of a first-round election victory.His major challenger, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, expressed identical self assurance after vote casting, together with his two other halves, in his native land of Ndiaganiao, which is set 100km (62 miles) from Dakar.The 44-year-old used to be launched from prison simply 10 days in the past, after being detained since April 2023 on fees of riot, which he mentioned have been politically motivated.His best friend, opposition chief Ousmane Sonko, used to be additionally free of jail following an amnesty meant to calm tensions. He voted in his southern stronghold of Ziguinchor, pronouncing they anticipated a “dazzling victory”.Well-liked by younger other folks, he isn’t allowed to face on account of a sequence of fees he says are trumped up. He and his now-disbanded Pastef birthday party are backing Mr Faye.A 25-year-old voter in Ndiaganiao, who most effective gave her first identify, Mbissine, informed the BBC: “This election is the election of the adolescence. If I had one [piece of] recommendation for different younger other folks, it might be to return and vote. That is the most effective method we will assist ourselves.”On the identical polling station, 84-year-old Diégane Gueye, who walked with the help of a cane, mentioned: “I got here to vote as a result of these days is the most important day for our country. There’s a lot at stake and that’s the reason why we will have to care.”Video caption, Senegal elections: A key vote in one among Africa’s maximum strong countriesThere had been proceedings from a polling centre within the the city of Keur Massar, about 20km north-east of Dakar, as a result of some other folks weren’t been ready to vote as they’d previous ID playing cards, even supposing their names have been at the citizens’ roll. The brand new playing cards observe that Keur Massa is now its personal vote casting district and now not a part of Pikine because it used to be till 2021.A BBC group in Keur Massar says the army police had been deployed as pressure has risen outdoor the polling station at a college within the the city. The electoral fee has now mentioned it’s going to attempt to unravel the placement.On Friday, former President Abdoulaye Wade and his PDS birthday party threw their strengthen in the back of Mr Faye, after his personal son, Karim Wade, used to be pressured to withdraw over his twin French-Senegalese citizenship.For the primary time in additional than a decade, a feminine candidate is within the race. Anta Babacar Ngom, 40, leads the ARC birthday party.Effects are anticipated inside of days and a 2d around is most likely, on account of the huge choice of contestants. A candidate wishes greater than 50% of the vote to be declared the winner.The arena will probably be gazing to look if the election procedure is going some approach to restoring Senegal’s now-bruised recognition.”I’ve finished not anything unsuitable,” he mentioned, including that the verdict to lengthen the vote used to be now not taken unilaterally, however used to be on account of electoral considerations raised through individuals of parliament.”The entire movements which were taken had been inside the framework of the legislation and rules.”Extra on Senegal’s 2024 election:
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