With elections less than two years away, the issue of who succeeds the 84-year-old president is the subject of heated debate in the Senegalese press. Opponents of Wade accuse him of preparing his son for a possible takeover due to the fact that the African statesman has openly endorsed the “good leadership qualities” of his son.

The Senegalese Press Agency has quoted young Wade as saying that the idea of devolution of monarchy in Senegal is an insult to the Senegalese people. Karim was speaking to a U.S. television network on the eve of celebrations marking the July 14 national holiday of France.

''Those who attempt to evoke devolution of power and monarchical charges are unaware of the history of Senegal,'' he said, reminding his opponents that the right to choose a successor to President Wade rests in the hands of the Senegalese people. He said that anyone who wants access to the “highest office” must travel the country and present their projects and vision to the people, and that “Senegalese, freely and transparently, will decide whether or not to entrust them.”

As a state minister, the lengthy nature of Karim’s portfolio - Minister of State for International Cooperation, Urban and Regional Planning, Air Transport, and Infrastructure, suggests a lot about the amount of influence he commands in government. Opponents say his father pays him more attention. And he appears to be a more frequent traveler than every government official in Senegal. Allegations of corruption against both him and his father abound in the local media. Last month, there were allegations of “unfair” budgetary allocations to his ministry.

Genuine support

Despite all these accusations against him, there is hardly any room to ignore the existence of a genuine support among Senegalese for the young man who rarely engages in argument of succession, AfricaNews reporter said.

He strives hard not to leave his opponents with any chance to question his ability to deliver. He has presided over the landmark establishment of Senegal Airlines, after the liquidation of the troubled Air Senegal International. Air Senegal has since completed a deal for the acquisition of a fleet of new aircrafts. There is a new state-of-the-art airport in completion, road construction works and countless other projects are ongoing. These, coupled with the bad message emanating from an increasingly divided opposition, make the prospect of a President Karim Wade even higher, our reporter added.

On the new challenges to democracy in Senegal, Karim argued that ‘‘beyond the values of freedom and equality that we must consolidate and develop, we also have the requirement to address complaints of citizens in the economic and social'' spheres. And in doing so, he said, ''the main challenge is to eradicate poverty by creating jobs.”

According to Karim, democracy is an everyday struggle. ''In the field of democracy as in other areas of life, nothing is permanent,'' he said.

Paying homage to his father, he cited President Wade’s achievements in terms of empowering the women of Senegal, and urged ''the new generation” to endeavor to “live up to these democratic requirements.”