Senegal election result: Bassirou Diomaye Faye to become Africa's youngest elected president
Natasha Booty - BBC News
Tue, March 26, 2024
"Politics never crossed my mind," says the tax collector and husband to two wives
Few had heard of him a year ago, and now he is set to become president.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye's extraordinary rise caps a rollercoaster period in Senegalese politics that caught many off-guard.
Months in jail alongside ally and kingmaker Ousmane Sonko ended suddenly, with the pair released the week before the presidential election.
Now Mr Clean, as he's nicknamed, must get to work on the sweeping reforms he has promised.
"Methodical" and "modest" are words often used to describe the tax collector, who celebrates his 44th birthday on Monday.
Mr Faye fondly recalls his rural upbringing in Ndiaganiao, where he says he returns every Sunday to work the land.
His love and respect for village life is matched by his deep distrust of Senegal's elites and establishment politics.
"He's never been a minister and wasn't a statesman so critics question his lack of experience," analyst Alioune Tine tells the BBC.
"But, from Faye's point of view, the insiders who've run the country since 1960 have made some catastrophic failures."
Fighting poverty, injustice and corruption are top of Mr Faye's agenda. While working at the Treasury, he and Mr Sonko created a union taskforce to tackle graft.
Gas, oil, fishing and defence deals must all be renegotiated to better serve the Senegalese people, says Mr Faye.
He is ushering in an era of "sovereignty" and "rupture" as opposed to more of the same, he told voters, and that is especially true of ties to France.
Senegal's president-elect says he will drop the much-criticised CFA franc currency, which is pegged to the euro and backed by former colonial power France.
Mr Faye wants to replace it with a new Senegalese, or regional West African, currency, although this will not be easy.
"He will have to deal with the reality of the budget to begin with... But I see that he has a lot of ambition," former Prime Minister Aminata Touré, who served under outgoing President Macky Sall, tells the BBC.
Strengthening judicial independence and creating jobs for Senegal's large young population are also key priorities for Mr Faye - neither of which "President Sall paid much attention to and it caught up with him", Ms Touré adds.
She is not the only political heavyweight to have thrown her support behind the 44-year-old - former President Abdoulaye Wade did the same just two days before Sunday's vote.
It is a remarkable turnaround for Mr Faye who spent the last 11 months in prison on charges of insurrection, and many more years before that in his ally's shadow.
'Bassirou is me'
Bassirou Diomaye Faye was announced in February as the so-called "Plan B" candidate, replacing the charismatic opposition firebrand Ousmane Sonko. "I would even say that he has more integrity than me," Mr Sonko said proudly.
Both men founded the now-disbanded Pastef party, both men are tax collectors, and both men found themselves jailed last year on charges they said were politically motivated.
Mr Sonko ended up being convicted of two offences, which meant he was barred from the election, so Mr Faye stepped in.
"Bassirou is me," Mr Sonko told supporters recently. "They are two sides of the same coin," Pastef colleague Moustapha Sarré agrees.
This has led to criticism that Mr Faye is merely "president by default".
Not so, says analyst Mr Tine. But the pair's relationship could usher in a new style of leadership.
"Maybe they will establish a tandem and break away from the hyper-presidential model of having an all-powerful head of state.
"Sonko is of course the uncontested leader of Pastef - an icon, even... [But] the two have had a [dynamic of] complicity and collusion."
Once upon a time, Mr Faye wanted nothing to do with politics. "It never crossed my mind," he said in 2019 while recalling his childhood.
One of Mr Faye's heroes is the late Senegalese historian Cheikh Anta Diop - whose work is seen as a precursor to Afrocentrism. Both are seen as left-wing cheerleaders for pan-Africanism.
As early results came in on Monday showing Mr Faye was set for victory, people in the capital, Dakar, celebrated by honking car horns and singing to loud music.
The reaction from international markets was less jubilant, with Senegal's dollar bonds falling to their lowest level in five months. Reuters news agency reports that investors are concerned Mr Faye's presidency may wind down the country's business-friendly policies.
The election was originally due last month but Mr Sall postponed it just hours before campaigning was set to begin, triggering deadly opposition protests and a democratic crisis.
Most candidates had very little time to prepare once the new election date was set - but Mr Faye had just over a week after being freed from jail.
Despite the shortened campaign period, Senegal's citizens were adamant they would turn out and use their vote, Christopher Fomunyoh - of the National Democratic Institute for international affairs - told BBC Newsday.
"Senegal is in the process of confirming that democracies can self-correct and come out stronger and more resilient."
And the true test for Senegal's clean-up guy has only just begun.
Senegal’s Faye Pledges to Tackle Rising Cost of Living, Corruption
Katarina Höije
Tue, March 26, 2024
(Bloomberg) -- Senegal’s new president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, pledged to tackle corruption and use the West African nation’s resources to improve the living conditions of its citizens.
The 44-year-old former tax inspector, who was freed from prison less than two weeks ago, said he’ll devote himself to strengthening state institutions and maintaining friendly relations with Senegal’s partners, while using its natural resources to deliver on the aspirations of its people.
“I commit myself to govern with humility, transparency, and to fight corruption at all levels,” Faye said in a speech late Monday, hours after former Prime Minister Amadou Ba conceded defeat to him in Sunday’s presidential election. Senegal will remain an ally to anyone that commits to “respectful and mutually productive cooperation,” he said in the capital, Dakar.
Read More: Senegal Opposition’s Faye Set to Go From Prison to Presidency
Results released by Senegal’s electoral commission late on Monday showed that with ballots from 90% of polling stations counted, Faye had 54% of the vote, compared with 36% for Ba. The outcome gives Faye “a very strong mandate,” said Tochi Eni-Kalu, Africa analyst at Eurasia Group.
Faye is the hand-picked candidate of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who’s been repeatedly jailed in recent years, like many of outgoing President Macky Sall’s political rivals. The pair captured the energy of Senegal’s large youth population — the median age is 18 — fed up with a political elite that’s done little to raise their living standards. Many took to the streets on Monday to celebrate Faye’s impending victory, singing “Happy Birthday” to mark his 44th birthday.
Investors had been nervous about Faye winning the election because of concerns he’ll change policies implemented by Sall that generated average economic growth of more than 5% over the past decade. Senegal is on the cusp of becoming a major oil and gas producer that may result in growth accelerating to 8% this year — one of the fastest rates in Africa.
Faye has pledged to review deals signed with international investors including BP Plc, Endeavour Mining Plc and Kosmos Energy Ltd. He’s also questioned whether Senegal should continue using the CFA franc — a euro-pegged regional currency — and pledged to review the nation’s business and economic ties with former colonial ruler France.
Initial apprehension about a Faye presidency has eased, after he toned down his plans for the CFA franc, and bonds rallied on Monday after Ba conceded the election. The yield on Senegal’s 2033 dollar debt fell 29 basis points to 8.88%.
Investors will now be looking for more details on Faye’s economic policies, as well as the team he assembles around him to implement his plans.
“We’ll probably see some action towards renegotiating oil and gas contracts,” said Eni-Kalu. “He’s likely to introduce a greater focus on revenue based fiscal policy and get rid of energy subsides but try to balance those through other measures.”
Updated Mon, March 25, 2024
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By Portia Crowe and Diadie Ba
DAKAR (Reuters) -Senegal opposition presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a political newcomer popular among disaffected youth, promised on Monday to govern with humility and transparency.
Faye, set to be declared the next president after his main rival called him to concede defeat, thanked President Macky Sall and other candidates for respecting Senegal's democratic tradition by recognising his victory well before official results.
"In electing me, the Senegalese people have decided on a break with a past," Faye told journalists in his first public appearance since the election. "I promise to govern with humility and transparency."
Provisional results showed Faye with about 53.7% and Amadou Ba - from the current ruling coalition - with 36.2% based on tallies from 90% of polling stations in the first-round vote, the electoral commission said.
Ba and Sall both congratulated Faye, who turned 44 on Monday. They hailed the outcome as a win for Senegal, whose reputation as one of West Africa's most stable democracies took a hit when Sall postponed the vote.
"The Senegalese people have reinforced the good health of our democracy.. I wish him (Faye) success at the head of our country," Ba said.
A peaceful transition of power in Senegal would mark a boost for democracy in West Africa, where there have been eight military coups since 2020.
Some of the juntas that seized power have cut ties with traditional regional power-brokers such as France and the U.S., turning instead to Russia for help in their fight against a jihadist insurgency spreading through countries that neighbour Senegal.
Senegal's international bonds rose on reports that Faye was close to being declared a winner, reversing sharp falls from earlier in the day.
Many hope the vote will bring stability and an economic boost after three years of unprecedented political turbulence and several waves of deadly anti-government protests.
"I am happy to see there is a wind of change," said an opposition supporter named Tall, who joined revellers during the night as street celebrations broke out in anticipation of Faye's victory.
"It is wonderful because democracy has won. Many thought it would not happen," he said, giving only his first name.
Full, official results are expected to be announced by the Dakar appeals court on Friday.
YOUNG VOTERS
Faye owes much of his success to the backing of firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running due to a defamation conviction.
The two former tax inspectors, who were both released from jail this month, campaigned together under the slogan "Diomaye is Sonko", promising to fight corruption and prioritise national economic interests.
They are particularly popular among young voters in a country where more than 60% of people are under 25 and struggle to find jobs. Faye promised to dedicate more state resources to help the youths.
Police crackdowns on protests buoyed the opposition, as did rising living costs and concerns Sall would seek to extend his mandate beyond constitutional limits.
Anger around Sonko's prosecution grew when authorities sought to postpone by 10 months the vote, initially scheduled for February.
Investors were wary about whether a new government would be less business friendly than Sall's government, which attracted investments into infrastructure.
Senegal is set to start producing oil and gas this year, and Faye has promised a raft of changes including plans to renegotiate oil and gas contracts. Still, he sought to reassure investors last week the country would respect its commitments.
(Reporting by Portia Crowe, Diadie Ba and Bate Felix; Additional reporting by Ngouda Dione and Rachel Savage;Writing by Sofia Christensen and Nellie Peyton; Editing by Silvia Aloisi, Bernadette Baum, Angus MacSwan, William Maclean, Andrew Heavens and David Gregorio)
Former Senegalese PM concedes defeat to opposition candidate day after presidential vote
Niamh Kennedy, Larry Madowo, Xiaofei Xu and Nimi Princewill, CNN
Mon, March 25, 2024
Former Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba has conceded defeat to leading opposition figure Bassirou Diomaye Faye in the western African country’s presidential elections.
“With regard to the provisional results and awaiting the official proclamation, I congratulate President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye for his victory in the first round,” Ba, 62, said in a statement.
“I wish him lots of success and success for the well-being of the Senegalese people,” he added.
Outgoing President Macky Sall also congratulated Faye, describing the “smooth running” of the election as a “victory of Senegalese democracy.”
Early unofficial results showed Faye with a clear lead of 57% of votes while Ba came second with 31% of the votes, independent Senegalese radio station, Futurs Médias reported Monday.
Several opposition candidates in Sunday’s election conceded defeat to Faye earlier.
One of Senegal’s main opposition presidential candidates, Anta Babacar Ngom, conceded defeat to Faye on Sunday, writing on X: “I wish Mr. Faye every success at the helm of Senegal.”
Dethie Fall, one of 19 candidates in the election, also congratulated Faye “for his beautiful victory clearly achieved in view of the very strong trends that have emerged” in a statement Sunday.
Faye was also congratulated early Monday by another presidential candidate, Khalifa Sall.
Ba of the ruling coalition, who left his role as prime minister earlier in March to kickstart his campaign for the Senegalese top job called on people to “remain calm” while waiting for official results, saying celebrations were premature.
Official results will be announced by Saturday at the latest, according to an official from Senegal’s Autonomous National Electoral Commission.
From prisoner to president
Faye, 44, a former tax inspector and political detainee who had been imprisoned since April last year until his release on March 14, was chosen as a backup candidate for popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Sonko was barred from the polls after the Senegalese Supreme Court upheld his conviction over a defamation case in early January. Both men were released 11 days ago after President Sall granted amnesty to political prisoners.
Despite a shortened campaign period, Faye and Sonko, who enjoys widespread support among Senegalese youth who account for over 60% of the country’s population, sparked fierce support and debates across the country.
President Sall, whose second and final term expires on April 2, has promised to peacefully hand over to his elected successor after the country’s top court blocked his attempts to delay the election – originally scheduled for February 24 – for 10 months.
Senegal election: opposition's Faye set to become president
Reuters Videos
Updated Mon, March 25, 2024
STORY: Opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye has won Senegal's presidential election, according to provisional results released on Monday (March 25).
That confirms what many of Faye's supporters had already been celebrating as results began trickling in on Sunday (March 24) evening.
On Monday, the electoral commission announced Faye had secured 53.68% of the vote, based on tallies from 90% of polling stations, compared to 36.2% for the ruling Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition's candidate Amadou Ba.
Ba had earlier conceded defeat.
He'd been backed by incumbent President Macky Sall who is stepping down amid a drop in popularity after two terms marred by economic hardship and violent anti-government protests.
It's hoped that the vote will bring stability and an economic boost after three years of unprecedented political turmoil.
As for Faye, he owes much of his success to the backing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running due to a defamation conviction.
The two had campaigned together under the slogan "Diomaye is Sonko" and have promised to tackle corruption and prioritize national economic interests.
They are particularly popular among young voters in a country where more than 60% of people are under 25 and struggle to find jobs.
Sonko and Faye's campaign was also buoyed by police crackdowns on protests, the government's failure to cushion rising living costs, and the authorities' failed attempt to postpone the election by 10 months.
Senegal's international bonds rose on reports that Faye was close to being declared a winner, reversing sharp falls from earlier in the day.
However, investors are also wary about a change in leadership to an anti-establishment government.
Sonko and Faye have said they will introduce a new currency and renegotiate mining and energy contracts, in a country that is set to start producing oil and gas later this year.
Senegal Opposition’s Faye Set to Go From Prison to Presidency
Katarina Höije and Momar Niang
Mon, March 25, 2024
(Bloomberg) -- Senegalese opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to win the nation’s presidential election, a seismic shift in the political landscape of one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies.
The ruling coalition’s candidate, Amadou Ba, conceded defeat on Monday, handing an unexpected first-round victory to Faye — a political novice and former tax inspector who just 10 days ago was in prison on what supporters said were politically motivated charges. The outcome has yet to be confirmed by the Autonomous National Electoral Commission, which hasn’t released any official results yet.
Faye is the hand-picked candidate of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who’s been repeatedly jailed in recent years, like many of outgoing President Macky Sall’s political rivals. The pair captured the energy of Senegal’s large youth population — the median age is 18 — fed up with a political elite that’s done little to raise their living standards. Many took to the streets on Monday to celebrate Faye’s impending victory, singing “Happy Birthday” to mark his 44th birthday.
Ba was the chosen successor of Sall, who sparked chaos in what was long considered one of Africa’s most stable democracies when he postponed the election originally scheduled for February and floated holding onto power for an extra year. Senegalese staged mass protests, forcing Sall to back down and publicly state that he would leave office on April 2 — the move doomed what could have been an easy win for the ruling party.
“In view of the trends in the results of the presidential election and while awaiting the official proclamation, I congratulate President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye on his victory in the first round,” Ba said in a statement on Monday in the capital, Dakar.
At 44, Faye is set to become one of Africa’s youngest leaders. Until March 14, he’d been detained in a prison in Dakar after being charged with defamation and contempt of court. He was never convicted, and was freed under a government amnesty program.
Investor Nerves
Investors have been nervous about Faye winning the election. Senegal is on the cusp of becoming a major oil and gas producer, and Faye has pledged to review deals signed with international investors including BP Plc, Endeavour Mining Plc and Kosmos Energy Ltd. He’s also questioned whether Senegal should continue using the CFA franc — a euro-pegged regional currency — and pledged to review the nation’s business and economic ties with former colonial ruler France.
“Faye will be looking at renegotiating oil and gas contracts,” said Babacar Ndiaye, a political analyst with Dakar-based think tank Wathi. “He will be looking to get the most possible out of the deals.”
The yield on Senegalese eurobonds due in 2033 fell 24 basis points to 8.93% by 3:36 p.m. in London, while the rate on its 2037 debt dropped 22 basis points to 9.21%. Ba’s concession was risk positive as it removed the risk of tensions that have built up had the vote gone to a runoff, Oxford Economics said in a note.
“The key thing to watch will be his economic team appointments as the market is worried about” his stance on the CFA franc and the energy contracts, said Thys Louw, a portfolio manager at Ninety One Plc. “If they appoint a team with strong technocratic credentials, that will allay fears on those issues as well as signal willingness to continue with IMF program.”
Stabilizing debt — currently about 80% of gross domestic product — was a key focus of the outgoing administration, which is implementing an International Monetary Fund-endorsed fiscal consolidation strategy.
Currency Reform
Faye’s campaign has shown signs of toning down its ambitions for currency reform, because Senegal is too small to go it alone by abandoning the CFA franc and creating its own currency, Ndiaye said. More pressing issues include the high cost of living and unemployment in Senegal, that the government will need to attend to urgently, he said.
Despite his association with Sall’s democratic overreach, Ba offered investors the prospect of policy continuity. Under Sall, gross domestic product expanded more than 5% annually over the past decade, and his administration invested heavily in new roads, hospitals and electricity infrastructure, even as it cracked down on opposition, jailed critics and periodically shut down the internet.
Faye’s anti-establishment Pastef party benefited both from the backlash against Sall’s attempt to postpone the election and his crackdown on more established opposition parties have been weakened over his two terms in office.
Sonko criss-crossed the country with Faye after their release from prison. He also won support from the Senegalese Democratic Party, PDS, founded by Sall’s predecessor, Abdoulaye Wade.
Faye hails from a family of farmers. After being educated at the prestigious École Nationale de l’Administration in Dakar, he rose to prominence as a labor-union leader before joining Pastef — the party founded by Sonko that was dissolved by the government last year.
Faye has no experience working in government. He previously worked under Ba as a tax inspector, and unsuccessfully ran for mayor of his hometown — Ndiaganiao — in 2022.
--With assistance from Yinka Ibukun and Colleen Goko.
Senegal election: Voters choose new president after political crisis
Thomas Naadi in Ndiaganiao & Natasha Booty in London - BBC News
Sun, March 24, 2024
Seven million people, some seen here queuing in Ndiaganiao, are eligible to vote
People in Senegal have been voting for a new president in a delayed election after weeks of political unrest.
Long queues of voters were witnessed across the country as they flocked to choose from 17 presidential candidates.
After he voted, outgoing President Macky Sall warned candidates against making premature claims of victory.
The election had been due to take place last month but Mr Sall postponed it, triggering deadly opposition protests and a democratic crisis.
Seven million people were eligible to vote in the mainly Muslim West African nation, which had until then been praised as a bastion of democracy in the region.
Polling stations are now closing after a largely calm day of voting as most people are returning home to prepare to break their fast, which happens at sunset during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Freed prisoner takes on Senegal's heir apparent
Africa Daily podcast: Can there be a peaceful transition in Senegal?
Among those in the running for Senegal's top job is the governing BBY coalition's candidate, former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, 62. After casting his ballot in the capital, Dakar, he said he was "very confident" of a first-round election victory.
His main challenger, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, expressed similar confidence after voting, along with his two wives, in his hometown of Ndiaganiao, which is about 100km (62 miles) from Dakar.
"This election is the election of the youth. If I had one advice for other young people, it would be to come and vote. That’s the only way we can help ourselves"", Source: Mbissine, 25, Source description: Voter in Ndiaganiao, Image: Mbissine, a voter in Ndiaganiao
The 44-year-old was released from jail just 10 days ago, after being detained since April 2023 on charges of insurrection, which he said were politically motivated.
His ally, opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, was also freed from prison following an amnesty intended to calm tensions. He voted in his southern stronghold of Ziguinchor, saying they expected a "dazzling victory".
"I came to vote because today is an important day for our nation. There is a lot at stake and that’s why we should care"", Source: Diégane Gueye, 84, Source description: Voter in Ndiaganiao, Image: Diégane Gueye, 84, voter in Senegal
Popular with young people, he is not allowed to stand because of a series of charges he says are trumped up. He and his now-disbanded Pastef party are backing Mr Faye.
A 25-year-old voter in Ndiaganiao, who only gave her first name, Mbissine, told the BBC: "This election is the election of the youth. If I had one [piece of] advice for other young people, it would be to come and vote. That's the only way we can help ourselves."
At the same polling station, 84-year-old Diégane Gueye, who walked with the assistance of a cane, said: "I came to vote because today is an important day for our nation. There is a lot at stake and that's why we should care."
There have been complaints from a polling centre in the town of Keur Massar, about 20km north-east of Dakar, because some people were not been able to vote as they had old ID cards, even though their names were on the voters' roll. The new cards note that Keur Massa is now its own voting district and not part of Pikine as it was until 2021.
A BBC team in Keur Massar says the military police have been deployed as tension has risen outside the polling station at a school in the town. The electoral commission has now said it will try to resolve the situation.
On Friday, former President Abdoulaye Wade and his PDS party threw their support behind Mr Faye, after his own son, Karim Wade, was forced to withdraw over his dual French-Senegalese citizenship.
For the first time in more than a decade, a female candidate is in the race. Anta Babacar Ngom, 40, leads the ARC party.
Results are expected within days and a second round is likely, because of the large number of contestants. A candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to be declared the winner.
The world will be watching to see if the election process goes some way to restoring Senegal's now-bruised reputation.
Speaking to the BBC earlier this week, President Sall said that he had "no apology to make" for postponing the election, which was originally due to be held on 25 February.
"I have done nothing wrong," he said, adding that the decision to delay the vote was not taken unilaterally, but was because of electoral concerns raised by members of parliament.
"All the actions that have been taken have been within the framework of the law and regulations."
Senegal Bonds Rally as Investors Warm Up to Faye’s Presidency
Colleen Goko
Mon, March 25, 2024
(Bloomberg) -- Senegal’s sovereign dollar bonds rallied, posting some of the best gains in emerging markets, as investors bet on the western African country getting a stable government and Bassirou Diomaye Faye toning down some of the extreme policy measures he had outlined during the campaign.
Initial apprehension of an opposition win had sent markets weaker in early trade, which gradually reversed as the market favorite, Amadou Ba, conceded Sunday’s election to Faye. The yield on debt due 2048 fell 22 basis points to 9.60% by 3:21 p.m. in London, with its price rising to 73.99 cents on the dollar. The rate on the 2033 note declined 23 basis points to 8.94%.
Faye was named the main opposition’s presidential candidate after its firebrand leader Ousmane Sonko was disqualified from running since he was convicted of libel. A former tax inspector, Faye has never held public office. His key campaign pledges include renegotiating mining and energy contracts with private firms; pushing for reform on how the regional currency, the CFA franc, is managed; and renegotiating public debt and canceling private debt.
Initial market apprehension over Faye’s potential presidency was easing, said Sam Singh-Jami, Africa strategist at Rand Merchant Bank.
“Sonko/Faye have toned down on some of the economic changes initially proposed,” he said. “The selloff in the bonds was overdone in the first place.”
Investor Unknown
Before Ba conceded, 14 of the 19 candidates in the election had congratulated Faye on being on course to become the next president.
“The Faye/Sonko camp is largely an unknown quantity for the investor community meaning that whatever comments they make on economic policy could move the market,” said Mark Bohlund, senior credit research analyst at REDD Intelligence.
Bohlund said while Faye would likely row back on the more radical proposals, uncertainty about economic policy was likely to remain in the near term until the new president’s economic team had been announced. This would keep eurobond yields elevated.
“I still see a high likelihood that new parliamentary elections will be called in order to increase the new president’s policy leeway. I still expect Senegal to market a new Eurobond in the second half of the year,” he said.
For Danske Bank, a democratic vote was reason to stay bullish on Senegal.
“Elections went very peacefully, and confirmed Senegal is still a peaceful democracy. We are looking to increase risk on any dip,” said Soeren Moerch, a portfolio manager at the bank.
(Updates market moves, adds Ba concession)
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