Day: February 15, 2024
Opposition presidential candidates and lawmakers last week filed several legal challenges to the bill that delayed the vote to December and extended President Macky Sall’s mandate in what critics said amounted to an institutional coup.
The standoff has fueled widespread unrest and raised international concerns that one of the remaining democracies in coup-hit West Africa is under threat.
In the latest twist, the Constitutional Council decided that “the [postponement] law … is contrary to the constitution,” according to its minutes.
The council also ruled to cancel a decree announced by Sall ahead of the vote that had set the postponement in motion.
The presidency and government did not reply to requests for comment.
What happens next is unclear. Sall, who is not standing in the vote and has reached the constitutional limit of two terms in power, said he delayed the election because of a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption within the Constitutional Council.
In its decision, the council did not specify when the election should be held. There are 10 days left before the original poll date, and most candidates have not been campaigning since Sall issued his decree on February 3, hours before campaigns were meant to kick off.
The council’s decision has “left a window of opportunity open for discussion,” said Ali Ngouille Ndiaye, a former minister and opposition candidate, on local radio.
Opposition presidential candidates and lawmakers last week filed several legal challenges to the bill that delayed the vote to December and extended President Macky Sall’s mandate in what critics said amounted to an institutional coup.
The standoff has fueled widespread unrest and raised international concerns that one of the remaining democracies in coup-hit West Africa is under threat.
In the latest twist, the Constitutional Council decided that “the [postponement] law … is contrary to the constitution,” according to its minutes.
The council also ruled to cancel a decree announced by Sall ahead of the vote that had set the postponement in motion.
The presidency and government did not reply to requests for comment.
What happens next is unclear. Sall, who is not standing in the vote and has reached the constitutional limit of two terms in power, said he delayed the election because of a dispute over the candidate list and alleged corruption within the Constitutional Council.
In its decision, the council did not specify when the election should be held. There are 10 days left before the original poll date, and most candidates have not been campaigning since Sall issued his decree on February 3, hours before campaigns were meant to kick off.
The council’s decision has “left a window of opportunity open for discussion,” said Ali Ngouille Ndiaye, a former minister and opposition candidate, on local radio.
Don’t believe anything until the Kremlin has denied it! Putin always lies, so his statement that he supports Biden is designed to hurt Biden in US politics.
Putin’s statement makes it possible for Trumpists to deny that Trump works for Putin, although it is obvious. https://t.co/KHhUymzmgs— Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) February 15, 2024
Albania is a leader in the Western Balkans, a @NATO Ally, and a strong partner. Today in my meeting with President @BajramBegajAL, I expressed our appreciation for Albania’s support for Ukraine and for hosting our Afghan allies. pic.twitter.com/FdcsOd2kMG
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 15, 2024
#Russian Deputy FM Mikhail Galuzin threatened Armenia: “The geopolitical fluctuations of the official #Yerevan may lead to the loss of #Armenia‘s independence.” In an interview published in the Russian “Izvestia” periodical, he called on the #Armenian authorities to first and… pic.twitter.com/byXW014TQ4
— Robert Ananyan (@robananyan) February 15, 2024
Shooting at Kansas City Super Bowl Rally Probably Stemmed From Argument, Police Say – The New York Times https://t.co/XyM5nPGdLG
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) February 15, 2024
Don’t believe anything until the Kremlin has denied it! Putin always lies, so his statement that he supports Biden is designed to hurt Biden in US politics.
Putin’s statement makes it possible for Trumpists to deny that Trump works for Putin, although it is obvious. https://t.co/KHhUymzmgs— Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) February 15, 2024
