Senegalese voters will have a variety of 19 candidates to pick from when they go to the polls on March 24 to elect a new leader who will replace President Macky Sall.
The election which was originally scheduled for February was postponed by President Sall following complaints and allegations of the barring of several candidates from standing. After weeks of violent protests, his decision was overturned by Senegal’s top election authority.
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The Constitutional Council’s ruling has garnered widespread approval within the country. However, reports say that observers caution this may not mark the end of the saga. Several politicians have already filed petitions with the courts, seeking to further postpone the election on the grounds of flawed candidate application processes.
Forty-year-old Anta Babacar Ngom is the only female among the 19 candidates. As the owner of Senegal’s largest poultry company, she will become the first female president if elected.
As reported by Aljazeera, Ngom says she wants to boost the private sector, promote free healthcare and reform Senegal’s education system, including adding local languages on top of French.
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