THEME – The Elections
Introduction
The joint objectives of Conversation Club are to enable cultural exchange through discussion, and to enable the participants to practice using their languages.
This week we asked people to throw in their own questions. A participant from the US started the discussion with the question ‘Why does it take so long to get the official election results?”.
Getting the results
RTS had announced the results this day, Friday, for most of the areas. The Sopi (‘change’ in Wolof) 2009 Coalition (PDS) had received more points overall, but had lost some significant areas, including Dakar and other big cities such as St Louis, Kaolack, Fatick and Thies. The Sopi coalition had won Ziguinchor and remained more popular in rural areas. It was thought that turn-out was between 40% and 50% which some Senegalese participants commented was low and a reflection of Senegalese despair at the political climate. However, a US participant stated that this turn-out was very high compared to her home district of New Jersey where local elections often see a much lower turn-out.
One participant commented that the results could have been announced earlier but the PDS knew that they had lost some key seats and wanted to delay as a result. On the night of the election the President, Abdoulaye Wade, asked the radio stations and television not to announce the results. There was some sadness in the room that this approach is undemocratic and a general concern that there has been other undemocratic behavior which is a worrying trend.
Sabotage?
The election process itself is run by the Ministry of the Interior . The Ministry used to be run by Generals who were independent from the political process and could be trusted as reasonably neutral in the process. A few years ago, President Wade replaced the Generals with political appointees. As such, it is now considered, by some at least, that the Ministry supports the PDS and is therefore not neutral.
The election process itself is run by the Ministry of the Interior . The Ministry used to be run by Generals who were independent from the political process and could be trusted as reasonably neutral in the process. A few years ago, President Wade replaced the Generals with political appointees. As such, it is now considered, by some at least, that the Ministry supports the PDS and is therefore not neutral.
Examples given of possible sabotage activity included ballot boxes being delivered late so that some areas could not start voting until 5pm when others started at midday. Also, some areas did not have enough ballot boxes.
It was questioned (by a non-Senegalese participant) whether civil servants would really be biased and whether it couldn’t just be ineptitude which led to these occurrences. There seemed to be a general consensus that the civil servants are politically motivated and that financial and logistical issues occurred specifically in areas of Dakar where the opposing party was particularly strong, eg Pikine didn’t start voting until 3pm.
Regional council and mayoral elections
There was quite a bit of discussion about how the election process works. The regional councilors are elected by the public and they then elect the mayors. There are 24 regional councilors per Mayor. Overall the Sopi coalition won more regional councils, but there is likely to be a split of power as so many key seats were won by opposition candidates. Because the opposition party Benno Siggil Sénégal is a coalition party, there are a number of different parties that candidates can be called from.
Regional council and mayoral elections
There was quite a bit of discussion about how the election process works. The regional councilors are elected by the public and they then elect the mayors. There are 24 regional councilors per Mayor. Overall the Sopi coalition won more regional councils, but there is likely to be a split of power as so many key seats were won by opposition candidates. Because the opposition party Benno Siggil Sénégal is a coalition party, there are a number of different parties that candidates can be called from.
A message to President Wade?
A non-Senegalese participant asked how important these elections were in view of the fact that the next Presidential elections are a long way off (2012). Participants thought that they were very important because the results were a clear message to the President that some people are unhappy with his governance and that he needs to reorganize the country. It was thought that the state has acted with indifference towards the general populace and the election result was a call to action for the government; that the people had had their say.
A non-Senegalese participant asked how important these elections were in view of the fact that the next Presidential elections are a long way off (2012). Participants thought that they were very important because the results were a clear message to the President that some people are unhappy with his governance and that he needs to reorganize the country. It was thought that the state has acted with indifference towards the general populace and the election result was a call to action for the government; that the people had had their say.
The son question
It was generally agreed that the fact that Karim Wade’s defeat was a damning indictment of President Wade’s desire to see his son as the next President of Senegal. He was not only unsuccessful in becoming Mayor of Plateau, but lost his home seat of Point E. This election was seen as a ‘referendum’ in which the populace spoke clearly. Some participants suggested that President Wade lost heavily because of the issue as voters also believe that he used government funds to support Karim Wade’s campaign. One participant said it would have been better had President Wade introduced his son as a candidate further down the line, once he himself was no longer in power. Others pointed to Karim Wade’s leaving Senegal the day after the elections for France as an indication of his true commitment to the country.
It was generally agreed that the fact that Karim Wade’s defeat was a damning indictment of President Wade’s desire to see his son as the next President of Senegal. He was not only unsuccessful in becoming Mayor of Plateau, but lost his home seat of Point E. This election was seen as a ‘referendum’ in which the populace spoke clearly. Some participants suggested that President Wade lost heavily because of the issue as voters also believe that he used government funds to support Karim Wade’s campaign. One participant said it would have been better had President Wade introduced his son as a candidate further down the line, once he himself was no longer in power. Others pointed to Karim Wade’s leaving Senegal the day after the elections for France as an indication of his true commitment to the country.
The North South divide
As confirmation that personality as well as political affiliations play into public feelings, Karim Wade’s number two, Abdoulaye Baldé gained strong support in the city of Ziguinchor where he unseated a mayor who has been in position for some 20 years. The other key differences between the Ziguinchor result and the Dakar result, according to the group, was that the issues which Dakarois face are not as pertinent to their southern brothers and sisters who have access to cheaper goods and services and tend to be more reliant on the land to live. Baldé was seeing as being successful in Ziguinchor as he has shown real commitment and care for the city, including being heralded as one of the leaders of ANOCI (the agency responsible for the lucrative Islamic conference) which came to Senegal last year. It was commented that he has spent all his available time in Ziguinchor and is trusted by the locals to represent their interests at a national level.
As confirmation that personality as well as political affiliations play into public feelings, Karim Wade’s number two, Abdoulaye Baldé gained strong support in the city of Ziguinchor where he unseated a mayor who has been in position for some 20 years. The other key differences between the Ziguinchor result and the Dakar result, according to the group, was that the issues which Dakarois face are not as pertinent to their southern brothers and sisters who have access to cheaper goods and services and tend to be more reliant on the land to live. Baldé was seeing as being successful in Ziguinchor as he has shown real commitment and care for the city, including being heralded as one of the leaders of ANOCI (the agency responsible for the lucrative Islamic conference) which came to Senegal last year. It was commented that he has spent all his available time in Ziguinchor and is trusted by the locals to represent their interests at a national level.
What’s happening in Yoff?
In Yoff it looked like the PDS had won, but that there were three candidates who had received very similar results and there was some kind of internal review or voting process going on.
What about Parcelles Assainies?
In Parcelles, one radio station had announced that Demba Dia, the singer, had won the election, whilst another (backed by the Mayor’s office) had said that the incumbent Mayor, Moussa Sy had won. There had been controversy in the week, with both men saying that they would turn up to work at the Town Hall and there had been a lot of police in Parcelles to prevent any trouble in the streets. Participants commented that whilst this situation is absolutely indicative of people’s frustration with career politicians, Demba Dia has also worked supporting youth and supporting associations in Parcelles, Unité 7 for 20 years, and was not just some Johnny-Come-Lately.
In Yoff it looked like the PDS had won, but that there were three candidates who had received very similar results and there was some kind of internal review or voting process going on.
What about Parcelles Assainies?
In Parcelles, one radio station had announced that Demba Dia, the singer, had won the election, whilst another (backed by the Mayor’s office) had said that the incumbent Mayor, Moussa Sy had won. There had been controversy in the week, with both men saying that they would turn up to work at the Town Hall and there had been a lot of police in Parcelles to prevent any trouble in the streets. Participants commented that whilst this situation is absolutely indicative of people’s frustration with career politicians, Demba Dia has also worked supporting youth and supporting associations in Parcelles, Unité 7 for 20 years, and was not just some Johnny-Come-Lately.
The current situation
There was some discussion as to how President Wade was voted in by the Senegalese as “the exit door”, that he was the best of a bad choice, “better a serious illness than an incurable one” as one participant put it. Someone suggested that it was the regime rather than President Wade himself who is to blame for the country’s problems, but another participant countered that the regime and the President are one and the same.
There was some discussion as to how President Wade was voted in by the Senegalese as “the exit door”, that he was the best of a bad choice, “better a serious illness than an incurable one” as one participant put it. Someone suggested that it was the regime rather than President Wade himself who is to blame for the country’s problems, but another participant countered that the regime and the President are one and the same.
There was general concern that President Wade had overstepped the mark in abusing his powers with a ‘special delegation’ when he had replaced a number of Mayors with alternative candidates last autumn instead of holding bye-elections. One example was replacing Macky Sall with Moussa Sy in Parcelles Assainies.
In addition there were big questions over finances. This included massive overspending of 40 Billion CFA in the Minister of Budget’s remit, which was seen to have been backed by President Wade as the Minister was subsequently supported to emigrate, and the estimated 240 Billion CFA overspend (World Bank) by the government as a whole. Questions remain as to where this money has been spent as infrastructure projects have been put on hold and there is no evidence of the flow-through to the average citizen. One participant said that the key problem was that the average Senegalese person is uninformed about the tenets of democracy and the populace as a whole does not demand transparency and accountability from the government.
The final criticism of President Wade’s rule is that he has mixed up his personal and professional life, using his political power to protect his own family, for example in standing down the individual who questioned Karim Wade’s transparency over the finances concerning the Islamic summit.
The final criticism of President Wade’s rule is that he has mixed up his personal and professional life, using his political power to protect his own family, for example in standing down the individual who questioned Karim Wade’s transparency over the finances concerning the Islamic summit.
Comments were made about the socio-cultural context and that levels of civil-literacy were low, meaning that people did not vote on issues or party alliances, but were most likely to follow family or ethnic allegiances. One participant had said that she had followed the elections in the papers closely to look for what kind of tickets candidates were standing on, but with the exception of a St Louis candidate who had promised to find money for his area, most newspaper stories were traditional ‘grab and grins’ with no specific policy issues being highlighted.
One participant said that tensions were high; that another issue like that at the university, or the effect of the economic crisis could create a real problem. She said that many people felt a deep sense of injustice at the amount of money that has been spent on the election and in ‘buying votes’ when so many people are very poor. Others contributed to say that the elections cost an estimated 5 billion CFA, including 500 million to win over a candidate in Thies. Karim Wade was also said to have used four planes for his election campaign. The participant said that people want President Wade to go ‘before the country goes the way of other African nations’.
Further reading:
http://www.africaontv.com/Members/dibees/news/africa-news-senegal-tense-election-build-up-ends-calmly
http://www.worldpress.org/feed.cfm?http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-03-24-govt-admits-setbacks-in-senegal-elections
French links
http://www.24heures.ch/depeches/monde/elections-locales-senegal-test-presidentielle-2012
http://news.fr.msn.com/monde/article.aspx?cp-documentid=15299768
http://www.seneweb.com/news/article/2870.php
http://www.worldpress.org/feed.cfm?http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-03-24-govt-admits-setbacks-in-senegal-elections
French links
http://www.24heures.ch/depeches/monde/elections-locales-senegal-test-presidentielle-2012
http://news.fr.msn.com/monde/article.aspx?cp-documentid=15299768
http://www.seneweb.com/news/article/2870.php
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