Senegal president Macky Sall wins re-election with 58% of vote
The majority victory hands Macky Sall a second term without a run-off vote
Dakar — Senegal President Macky Sall won re-election with 58% of votes cast in last Sunday’s poll, according to provisional results announced by the official counting body on Thursday. The majority win hands Sall a second term without a run-off vote. Opposition candidate Idrissa Seck came second with 21% of votes, while Ousmane Sonko placed third with 16%. Sall, whom rights groups have criticised for squeezing out rivals, was tipped to win after a modernising first term that propelled Senegal’s economic growth to more than 6% — one of the highest in Africa. Since Sunday’s vote, opposition candidates have rejected reports of an outright victory for Sall, saying their tallies point to a second round of voting. Seck and Sonko have not yet commented on the National Vote Counting Commission’s results, which are preliminary until validated by the constitutional council. The candidates have 72 hours to register an appeal. Senegal has long been viewed as West Africa’s most stable democracy,...
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