By Umaru Fofana
A determined people, a politically detribalised nation. A professional police force, an uncompromising military. A recalcitrant president, an obdurate electorate. A fractured opposition, a purposeful media. An outspoken international community, an enlightened middle class. But a somewhat epileptic electoral commission. This is Senegal, a country not in the West but in the west coast of Africa - as is Sierra Leone.
Forgive me if I refer to his leadership in the past tense but this is because, in my view, the political career of incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade is dead under the water - unless of course something dramatic happens among the opposition coalition that's now fully galvanised to boot him out.
Senegalese were faced with a president who in twelve years of his leadership had transformed it almost beyond recognition. Abdoulaye Wade built the infrastructure of Dakar with commitment and dedication. He had a passion for it and kicked butts to make it happen. Dakar is a city I had lived in for about one year. When I first returned to it in 2010 after four years away I had to be taken around a city I almost served in as a tour guide. Flyovers all over, boulevards everywhere. The private sector is flourishing and the hotel industry is booming with the building of Radisson Hotel whose developers pumped millions of dollars into it even if its life span is only for ten years. The Atlantic Ocean will take over the area after a decade but the boom in the industry was worth the venture by the investors.
Amid all of this, electricity faltered somewhat, piped water remained a pipe dream for many homes. But that was not what was hurting Senegalese. They proved determined for a man who, they say, went back on his words. By law, Wade is not barred from running for a third term - and he has to be given that. When he came to power in 2000 the constitution at the time did not establish a term limit and a president was allowed seven years per term. As president he ensured a review of the country's constitution to reduce the term limit to a maximum of two 5-year terms. Then the election of 2007 was his first term under the new constitution.
So the country's Supreme Court got it right when they ruled in his favour to run for another term. But to Senegal's highly educated and sophisticated middle class and enlightened and largely nationalistic civil society, he went back on his word - which to the average Senegalese is as serious as a breach of their country's constitution.
There is evidence galore the president had said he was not interested in running for a third term. Somehow somewhat he reneged on that commitment. Then what is probably the toughest day of his presidency, was in the offing.
President Wade's son, Karim, it was who first turned up at the polling station, just a stone's throw from the family house. The people insisted that he must stand in line. A man with four ministerial portfolios had to comply. He stood in the queue for almost an hour until it was his turn to vote. Then his father showed up a couple of hours later. Lo and behold the booing started. Hundreds of voters and other protesters started jeering at him asking him to leave the presidency and that he had served out his term. I was stunned to see how the president's hands shook while he tried to bring out his voter ID card. As you would probably not expect from a developing country's constabulary, the police busied themselves with guarding and goading the president as he made his way back to the waiting motorcade. Not targeting the protesters.
At least six people were killed during sometimes violent protests and confrontations between police and demonstrators in the run up to voting day. They were calling for the president to back off his third term bid. While some of the deaths were not caused by gunshots, at least one is believed to have been and is being investigated. On the whole the police, at least in Dakar where I was, were terrific. Their crowd control was exemplary. They would stand guard with their riot gears, sometimes pleading with the demonstrators. Even when they were being pelted with rocks. Your could not sense anger and frustration in them. They kept the protected areas from the reach of the demonstrators, and where necessary they used tear gas. Journalists could film the police at very close range without issues. Some Senegalese journalists told me that there had been attempts by those in power to compromise the police but that they refused, and that even the military was called to intervene at some point but they also declined, citing their mandate. This perhaps explains why the country's military has never meddled in its politics. Republican army, republican police!
The country's thriving and vibrant media preoccupied themselves with the issues. Even though the protests overshadowed the issues on the platforms of the fourteen candidates, the media tried to bring some of them to the fore. This, despite two of the lead channels being owned by opposition figures including Youssou Ndour. No cussing of people. Hardly any lie-telling! Not that I noticed or heard anyone mention. In one instance a spokesman of the incumbent alluded to tribal sentiments that had led to the opposition man Macky Sall's impressive showing. He apparently wanted to appeal to the Wollof voters to support president Wade. It was amazing how the media challenged him, how the Wollof people came out to distance themselves from his statement. He was even withdrawn from speaking on behalf of the president throughout the rest of my stay in the country.
The opposition themselves were fractured. Thirteen of them, among them two women, challenged the incumbent. They included three former prime ministers and a foreign minister for the same incumbent. Moustapha Niasse was seen as many people's favourite to take the race to the run-off which is now scheduled to take place on 25 March. He was the man who brought Wade to power in 2000. Having come third in the race then, he endorsed Abdoulaye Wade against then incumbent Abdou Diouf. He was appointed prime minister but the two fell out dramatically too soon. Now, again, he has the fate of his former ally and boss in his palm. You can guess his preference this time.
Idrissa Seck came a disappointing fifth, after the candidate of the former ruling Socialist party. Seck was also Wade's prime minister and close confidant. The two fell out in perhaps the most disastrous of ways. The Mayor or Thes has also now all but endorsed Sall if only to punish Wade.
While most of the opposition candidates were busy organising street protests, Macky Sall divided himself between being a part of the action but also campaigning across the country. Regarded by many as a clear favourite to win the run-off polls, he is considered a political clone of the incumbent who made him Speaker of parliament and prime minister, among others. The two fell out, many believe, over Karim Wade, after it became apparent that the two had the same ambition - to succeed Abdoulaye.
Less than 24 hours after the polls had closed, the people started agitating for the result to be announced. Why not! After all it was clear by 2:00 am which way the votes had gone. The European Union observer mission came out very strong on the following day saying the delay in announcing the outcome was suspect. A member of the European Parliament bellowed during a presser that in this day and age of the internet it was inconceivable that results would be delayed for nearly 48 hours. Blame that in part to the manner in which former French colonies' electoral commissions are virtually controlled by the powers-that be. The court must announce the result. Remember Ivory Coast and the conundrum that brought about? Anyway...in the end the results were announced giving 34% of the votes to the incumbent about five percent ahead of the nearest challenger.
Voting day was very peaceful. The people were determined to vote. However around ten percent of registered voters did not receive their voter ID cards until virtually on voting day. That did not send panic though nor did it dampen their resolve to vote.
The outcome of the run-off polls may have repercussions on the rest of especially francophone west Africa. In Togo and Burkina Faso, there are plan by presidents Fore Gnassingbe and Blaise Compaore to extend their stay in power. If wade wins, they will be buoyed by it. If he loses, it is their peoples who will be buoyed.
