On Tuesday, Bassirou Diomaye Faye became Senegal’s new president-elect. Faye is a political newcomer and former tax inspector.
Faye was able to inspire votes on the campaign platform of fighting corruption and economic reform. At just 44 years old, Faye is set to be the youngest leader of Senegal and was released from prison less than two weeks prior to winning the presidential election. Faye was endorsed into the presidential campaign by popular opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running in the election. The news of Faye’s win in the presidential election was announced Monday evening, with celebrations occurring in the capital. Even though the official results of the Sunday election will not be confirmed until Friday, the other front-runner conceded defeat. The other front-runner was former Prime Minister Amadou Ba. He was endorsed by the incumbent President Macky Sall, and both congratulated Faye on the win after conceding. This election was especially contentious following months of unrest after the arrests of Sonko and Faye last year. There were also constitutional concerns regarding the potential for the President to seek a third term in office. As a result, there was an outpouring of violence that caused around 1,000 arrests and the death of dozens of protestors. Faye’s campaign platform of combatting corruption resonated with young voters who viewed him as an anti-establishment candidate. Faye also promoted stronger control over Senegal’s natural resources through the renegotiation of oil and gas contracts. He also promised the introduction of a new currency and promoted national companies. On Monday, Faye also revealed some foreign policy priorities for his administration. One policy included reforming ECOWAS, a West African regional bloc. The election itself was peaceful, with preliminary vote counts indicating a favorable outcome for the opposition.
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https://apnews.com/article/senegal-elections-diomaye-faye-a1a83915d7af073134ca46d503d81ebf
