Senegalese voters began casting their ballots early Sunday morning in Dakar and other regions for the highly anticipated legislative elections.
At a polling station in Dakar, Aly Sow, a septuagenarian, expressed satisfaction after fulfilling his civic duty. The same polling center is set to welcome Amadou Ba, head of the opposition coalition Jamm Ak Njarign and a key contender in the 2024 presidential elections, who is expected to vote around 11 a.m.
The polling process is well-organized, with police officers stationed at entrances and inside the center to ensure security. However, some voters appeared disoriented by the addition of a new desk under a closed tarp.
Amadou Ba, who narrowly lost the March 2024 presidential election at this location with 35% of the vote, is vying to lead the opposition’s efforts in these elections. The ruling party’s candidate, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, had been endorsed by former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who now serves as Prime Minister.
Sonko, who voted early Sunday in Ziguinchor—a city where he served as mayor from 2022 to 2024—shared an image of himself on Facebook, stating his readiness to fulfill his “civic act for the future of (his) country.”
The ruling party is seeking an “overwhelming” parliamentary majority to advance its economic and social policies, while the opposition, grouped under several coalitions, aims to force cohabitation to challenge what it describes as the government’s overreach.