Senegal’s Governing Party Poised for Parliamentary Majority in Boost for Reform Agenda

A woman casts her vote for legislative elections, at a polling station in Dakar, Senegal Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)

By MARK BANCHEREAU

12:43 PM EST, November 18, 2024

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s governing party is poised to win a parliamentary majority as main opposition leaders conceded defeat Monday in an election determining whether newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye can carry out ambitious reforms he promised during his campaign.

PASTEF is projected to win around 131 out of the 165 seats in the National Assembly, according to local media and citizen vote counting platforms, giving Faye’s party an absolute majority. The official results and number of seats won by each party will be announced later this week.

Former President Macky Sall, leader of the main opposition Takku Wallu coalition, congratulated PASTEF in a post on X. Two other major opposition leaders had already conceded defeat hours after the polls closed on Sunday.

PASTEF only held 56 seats in the National Assembly before Sunday’s legislative election, while Sall’s coalition had a slim majority of 83 seats.

Faye, who was elected in March on an anti-establishment platform, said the lack of a majority had prevented him from executing reforms he pledged during his presidential campaign, including fighting corruption, reviewing fishing permits for foreign companies and securing a bigger share from the country’s natural resources for the population.

In September, he dissolved the opposition-led parliament, paving the way for an early legislative election.

Voting in the West African nation known for its stability was calm and peaceful despite an electoral campaign that was marked by sporadic clashes between rival supporters.

Faye, 44, became Africa’s youngest elected leader in March, less than two weeks after he was released from prison. The former tax inspector’s rise has reflected widespread frustration among Senegal’s youth with the country’s direction — a common sentiment across Africa, which has the world’s youngest population and a number of leaders accused of clinging to power for decades.

More than 60% of Senegalese are under age 25, and 90% work in informal jobs. Senegal has been hit by skyrocketing inflation in recent years, making life difficult for much of the population.

The country is also a major source of irregular migration to Europe, with thousands leaving every year on rickety, artisanal fishing boats in search of economic opportunities.