Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. (Sayrou/AFP)
- Senegal's popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been granted a presidential pardon and plans to run in the March 24 election.
- Businesswoman Anta Babacar Ngom is the only female participant in the race.
- Papa Djibril Fall is the youngest presidential candidate at 38 years old.
Senegal's popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was jailed last year, will be released after receiving a political pardon, with his name reappearing on the list of presidential candidates ahead of the March 24 vote. It turns out.
Sonko, 49, a leader of the Senegalese Patriotic Association for Labor, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF), was found guilty in absentia last year of corruption of young people in a case that did not amount to statutory rape. He was imprisoned.
His two-year sentence sparked the largest demonstrations in Senegal's history, leaving at least 16 people dead and hundreds of opposition supporters arrested.
President Macky Sall's government also extended the mobile internet shutdown.
Instead of Sonko, Pastev chose Basil Diomai Faye.
Unfortunately, he was also excluded from the vote because he was given a suspended sentence for defamation by a criminal court with the first two months suspended.
Upon appeal by the state, the suspended sentence was extended to six months.
Sall said the pardon was intended to “calm the political scene.”
Sonko has about two weeks to prepare for the election.
in newsThe government said, “Ousmane Sonko, the leader of Patriots PASTEF, will finally be reinstated from the electoral roll as the State of Senegal has withdrawn its appeal against the decision to reinstate him from the electoral roll.'' ” he said.
Also read | Strong constitutional system is saving Senegal's democracy, legal experts say
Sall's term ends on April 2nd.
He originally announced the postponement of the election on February 3 and set it for December 15 with the consent of parliament.
However, on February 15, Senegal's Constitutional Council annulled the postponement and ordered elections to be held as soon as possible, and the government later announced a new election date.
Campaigning for presidential candidates officially began on Sunday, with the original 93 candidates narrowed down to 20, including Sonko.
Those disqualified from the election include former prime ministers Idrissa Sek and Mohamed bin Abdallah Dionne.
Papa Djibril Fall, 38, is the youngest candidate and Anta Babakar Ngom, 39, is the only woman in the presidential race.
Six women expressed interest.
Ngom is the daughter of Senegalese businessman Babacar Ngom.
Since 2016, she has been the Chief Executive Officer of Sedima, a leading poultry company in West Africa.
The ruling Benno Boku Yakar coalition has Amadou Ba as its candidate.
Until last week, Ba was the country's prime minister, but he was replaced by Siddiqui Kabba, who is currently campaigning for the presidency.
Mr Kabbah served as justice minister, foreign minister and interior minister in Sall's previous government.
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