* Results trickling in since polls closed on Sunday evening in the first round rapidly suggested Faye may have clinched an outright majority
* The trends announced on local media sparked street celebrations by his supporters in the capital Dakar
By Portia Crowe, Bate Felix & Sofia Christensen, Reuters in Dakar
Senegal opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to be declared the country’s next president after his rival from the ruling coalition called him today to concede defeat.
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Results trickling in since polls closed on Sunday evening in the first round of a delayed presidential election rapidly suggested Faye, 44, may have clinched an outright majority.
The trends announced on local media sparked street celebrations by his supporters in the capital Dakar and earlier ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba, 62, initially called the celebrations premature and said a run-off vote would be needed to determine the winner.
But he then called Faye today to offer his congratulations, a government spokesman told journalists.
“In light of presidential election result trends and while we await the official proclamation, I congratulate Faye for his victory in the first round,” Ba said in a statement.
A peaceful transition of power in Senegal would mark a boost for democracy in West Africa, where there have been eight military coups since 2020.
Some of the juntas that seized power have cut ties with traditional power-brokers in the region such as France and the United States, and turned instead to Russia for help in their fight against a jihadist insurgency spreading through countries that neighbour Senegal.
Faye and his wife after casting their votes
Senegal’s international bonds rose on reports that Faye was close to being declared a winner, reversing sharp falls from earlier in the day.
Official results are expected to be announced by the Dakar appeals court on Friday. The electoral commission has not yet communicated on the tallies counted so far out of 15,633 voting stations.
Many hope the vote will bring stability and an economic boost to Senegal after three years of unprecedented political turbulence in one of West Africa’s only stable democracies, which is set to start producing oil and gas this year.
“I am happy to see there is a wind of change,” said Tall, who joined revellers during the night as supporters waved Senegalese flags, lit flares and blasted vuvuzelas.
“It is wonderful because democracy has won. Many thought it would not happen,” he said, only wishing to give his first name.
Several opposition contenders had also conceded defeat to Faye during the night, including Anta Babacar Ngom, the only woman running.
Anta Babacar Ngom
Ba was the candidate backed by outgoing President Macky Sall, who is stepping down amid a drop in popularity after two terms in office marred by economic hardship and violent anti-government protests.
Faye has not publicly spoken since he cast his vote. He owes much of his success to the backing of firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running due to a defamation conviction.
The two former tax inspectors have campaigned together under the slogan ‘Diomaye is Sonko’ promising to fight corruption and prioritise national economic interests.
They were particularly popular among young voters in a country where more than 60% of people are under 25 and struggle to find jobs.
Police crackdowns on protests, the government’s failure to cushion rising living costs and concerns Sall would seek to extend his mandate beyond constitutional limits, buoyed the opposition.
Anger crystallised around Sonko’s prosecution only grew when authorities sought to postpone the vote, initially scheduled to take place in February, by 10 months.
Investors are meanwhile wary about a potential change in leadership to an anti-establishment government that may not pursue the same business friendly policies seen under Sall’s government that has attracted investments into infrastructure.
Born in 1980 in Ndiaganiao, Senegal, Faye completed his baccalaureate (university bachelor’s degree) in 2000 and he went on to earn a master’s degree in law and passed competitive exams to enroll at the National School of Administration (ENA) and the magistracy in 2004.
After graduation, he chose a career as a tax inspector in the tax and estates department.
Faye’s relationship with Ousmane Sonko, a fellow alumnus from ENA, grew closer in 2014 within the Taxes and Estates Union, created by Sonko.
The frontline presidential candidate campaigned for home ownership facilitation for tax and property agents during his time at the head of the union.
Initially a guest at PASTEF’s founding, Faye quickly became a prominent figure within the party. He was one of the ideologues and designers of Sonko’s program for his 2019 presidential candidacy, where Sonko secured almost 16% of the vote and came third.
In February 2021, following Sonko’s arrest, Faye became the general secretary of PASTEF in which he played a pivotal role in uniting the opposition for the 2022 elections under the ‘Liberate the People’ alliance, which won 56 seats.
After uncertainty over Sonko’s eligibility for the presidential election, PASTEF endorsed Faye as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election, despite the party being dissolved and his detainment.
His candidacy was validated as he was never convicted and on January 20, 2024, the Senegalese Constitutional Council published the final list of candidates, excluding Sonko after several legal battles. Sonko then announced his support for Faye.
Faye’s first public appearance as a presidential contender on March 15, 2024, attracted hundreds of supporters, just a day after his release from jail.
Former president Abdoulaye Wade and his Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) endorsed Faye, boosting his chances of winning the election.
This endorsement came after PDS candidate Karim Wade was disqualified from the race due to dual citizenship issues at the time of his candidacy submission.—Additional reporting by Ngouda Dione and Rachel Savage, businessday.ng; editing by Silvia Aloisi, Bernadette Baum, Angus MacSwan, William Maclean
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