between Ousmane Sonko and Macky Sall, two headliners in a duel for the legislative elections

Between Ousmane Sonko and Macky Sall the time for revenge seems to have arrived. The duel between the two great figures of Senegalese political life, which already took place during the 2019 presidential elections and which former President Sall won, will give rise to a new confrontation, this time during the early legislative elections on November 17.

The former head of state, now special envoy of the Paris Pact for People and Planet (4P), has been named head of the national list of his Takku Wallu Senegal coalition, several of his closest friends announced on Monday, September 30. . A new alliance that seals the reunion of the liberal family, between Macky Sall’s party, the APR (Alliance for the Republic), and the movement with which he broke in 2008, the PDS (Senegalese Democratic Party) of former president Abdoulaye Wade , whose son, Karim Wade, exiled in Qatar for eight years, occupies third place on this same national list.

The announced return of Macky Sall, absent from the country since he handed over power to Bassirou Diomaye Faye in April, represents an important turn in Senegalese political life. Although he never stopped working behind the scenes to reunify his political family and try to limit the influence of his former prime minister, Amadou Ba, whose candidacy he paid lip service to during the March 24 presidential election, this reappearance confirms his growing involvement. in this election.

Since his defeat, Ba left with the ex-president’s movement executives to form a new party, New Responsibility, and take leadership of another opposition coalition, Jam ak Njariñ (“Peace and Prosperity” in Wolof).

Political revenge for Ousmane Sonko?

President Diomaye Faye and his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, both imprisoned during Macky Sall’s last term, did not react on Tuesday 1^Ahem October to this return announced. However, this turn at the beginning of the legislative campaign should not fail to electrify the debates a little more. Because Macky Sall is far from unanimous. The group of victims of his regime considers him one of those responsible for the repression of anti-government demonstrations that left more than sixty dead between 2021 and 2024 according to Amnesty International.

His figure acts like a red rag brandished by the new power, launched several weeks ago in an operation of “responsibility” that points to the old authorities. Investigations against some of his relatives, bans on leaving the country, audits of public accounts, the Prime Minister’s government is exerting strong pressure on former officials and supporters of the former president. “President Macky Sall’s regime lied to the people and its partners”Ousmane Sonko denounced on Thursday, September 26 during a press conference.

With Macky Sall announced as head of the national list of one of the opposition coalitions, Takku Wallu Senegal, Ousmane Sonko could take personal and political revenge. The leader of the African Patriots of Senegal for work, ethics and fraternity (Pastef), appointed on Sunday by his party as head of the national list, was for five years the first detractor and the first victim of the repression of the former president . Today, the balance of power has reversed.

Ousmane Sonko is no longer the number one opponent, but a leader in power who has placed his men in the gears of the State. He obtained, by proxy, a victory as large as it was unexpected in the presidential elections of March 24 with the election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, then almost unknown to the Senegalese.

Galvanize your base

Based on this plebiscite, his movement, which defines itself as left-wing sovereigntist, wants to hold legislative elections on November 17. “a second round of the presidential elections”. Pastef intends to continue its victorious momentum with the aim of achieving – under its single banner – a majority in the National Assembly. This was dissolved on September 12 by decision of the head of state, leaving its troops in a minority after the 2022 legislative elections.

To achieve this, Ousmane Sonko appears to be in a permanent campaign to galvanize his base, essentially young and eager for a new mode of government in Senegal. And in its quest for a majority, the party made a strategic electoral break, choosing to go alone rather than form alliances as in the past. “ He preferred to invest the support of the presidential coalition, President Diomaye, under the Pastef label, to close ranks and avoid future cases of transhumance.analyzes political scientist Alassane Ndao, from the Gaston-Berger University of Saint-Louis.

“Pastef’s challenge is to be hegemonic in the National Assembly, as the Socialist Party and then the Senegalese Democratic Party were at the time.” continues Mamadou Lamine Sarr, professor and researcher in political science at the Cheikh-Hamidou-Kane digital university. The new Senegalese opposition has less than fifty days left to reverse this trend.