According to early results in Senegal’s presidential polls, opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye appears to have secured an outright majority. However, his rival in the ruling coalition believes a run-off vote will be necessary to determine the final winner.
Overjoyed opposition supporters took to the streets of the capital Dakar on Sunday as local media outlets began reporting polling station figures that placed Faye, 44, comfortably ahead of his main competitor, Amadou Ba.
Several other opposition candidates from Sunday’s election acknowledged Faye’s victory during the night.
The official results are scheduled to be announced by the Dakar appeals court on Friday.
Many are optimistic that the delayed election will bring stability and an economic boost to Senegal after three years of unprecedented political turmoil.
Ba is the candidate endorsed by outgoing President Macky Sall, who is leaving office amidst a decline in popularity following two terms marked by economic difficulties and violent anti-government demonstrations.
In a statement issued late on Sunday, Ba cautioned that premature celebrations of Faye’s victory were unwarranted and believed that the official results would indicate the necessity of a second round of voting.
(Reporting by Bate Felix; Writing by Sofia Christensen; editing by Silvia Aloisi and Bernadette Baum)
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