Senegal: 2 main opposition candidates contest Sall's victory claim

Senegal’s two opponents have condemned incumbent President Macky Sall for announcing he had won the presidential election on Sunday night.

Idrissa Seck and Ousmane Sonko also accused the media of declaring a win for Macky Sall before having all the results. Both opponents called on voters to reject a declaration of victory by Sall.

“We have abstained from proclaiming any results whatsoever and we have noticed that some media organisations, including foreign media, have given themselves the right to give first round results, that is totally unacceptable”, said 2019 Presidential candidate and REWMI party leader, Idrissa Seck.

Ousmane Sonko is Pastef party leader and 2019 presidential candidate. “At the current stage of the vote and the tally, no candidate, no candidate, I say clearly, no candidate, myself included, can proclaim themselves winners of this presidential election. Beyond that there is an established organisation which assigns the responsibility of the proclamation of the provisional results at the national commission and of the final results at the constitutional council”, Sonko said

Seck and Sonko spoke shortly before Senegalese Prime Minister Mahamed Boun Abdallah Dione announced that Macky Sall had won 57 percent of the vote meaning there would be no second round.

Both opponents are now turning to religious and traditional leaders to ‘‘reason with Sall’‘.

Official results of Sunday’s presidential election are expected on Friday, March 1.

Reuters