In a test of the power dynamics between President Macky Sall and his opponents, Senegalese citizens were urged to vote on Friday to voice their disapproval of a last-minute postponement of the presidential election.
Sall’s abrupt decision to push out the February 25 election by ten months was supported by parliament on Monday, which aroused alarm across the world and a strong opposition reaction.
In a region plagued by military takeovers, the West African nation’s reputation for democratic stability has been thrown into doubt by this extraordinary step.
A call has been made by several religious, civic, and professional organizations, united under a recently established collective, asking individuals to attend Friday prayers wearing white and the national colors.
Social media users in Dakar have also been asked to protest later on Friday at the enormous Place de la Nation plaza, which is close to the city’s center.
The people who are advocating for the event are not publicly identified. Nonetheless, a number of contenders for the rescheduled presidential election have declared their intention to participate in the protest.
Education unions within the civil society platform Aar Sunu Election (Let’s Protect Our Election) also called for teachers to boycott classes on Friday.
Teachers at Dakar’s Blaise Diagne High School responded to the call, and hundreds of students fled their classes in the middle of the morning.
Assane Sene, a geography and history instructor, claimed that this was only the beginning of the conflict.
We will need to consider alternative strategies if the administration remains unyielding,” he declared.
In addition, the platform is organizing a rally on Tuesday and has invited Christians to attend church on Sunday dressed in white.