Title: Senegalese candidates demand urgent review of sponsorship control system
Introduction :
The race for the presidential election in Senegal is experiencing new twists and turns. While the second round of catch-up for 23 candidates begins today, a collective of 28 contenders has filed an appeal before the Council of Elders. They contest the reliability of the sponsorship control system and demand urgent corrective measures.
Thousands of sponsors invalidated:
The main criticism of the 28 candidates concerns the invalidation of thousands of sponsors of their application files. These sponsors, although registered on the electoral register, were described as “unidentified” by the Council of Elders. This situation is seen as a serious error and raises questions about the reliability of the sponsorship control system.
Doubts about the reliability of the system:
Among the disgruntled contenders are prominent political figures such as Aminata Touré, former prime minister, and Ousmane Sonko, a notorious opponent. These candidates express their concern about the management of the electoral file and the software used by the Council of Elders to verify sponsorships. Aminata Touré, faced with the disappearance of 10,000 sponsors in her case, questions the file on which the Constitutional Council relies to control sponsorships.
Requests for transparency and corrections:
The 28 signatories of the appeal demand from the Constitutional Council more transparency concerning the electoral register and the sponsorship verification software. They also call for errors made during sponsorship checks to be corrected. The aim is to ensure that all candidates play according to the same rules of the game.
Reaction of the Constitutional Council:
The Constitutional Council reacted by publishing a list of 23 candidates authorized to regularize their sponsorships within 48 hours. However, this reaction remains unsatisfactory for dissatisfied candidates, who expect more concrete measures and a guarantee of transparency.
Conclusion :
The protest by Senegalese candidates over the sponsorship control system for the presidential election accentuates the uncertainty over the current electoral process. It is imperative that corrective measures be taken to restore the confidence of candidates and the population in the integrity of the democratic process. The challenge is to guarantee transparent and fair elections, where all contenders have the opportunity to compete under equivalent conditions.