Senegalese parliamentary election, 2007

Parliamentary elections were held in Senegal on 3 June 2007. They had originally been planned to be held together with the presidential election on 25 February 2007, but were postponed. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=iol1169163398823B252 "Senegal hopes for elections in June"] , AFP ("IOL"), January 19, 2007.] 14 parties or coalitions participated in the election, in which the composition of the National Assembly, with 150 seats, was decided; however, the election was marked by a major opposition boycott. [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20070513215522340C245925 "Parties to boycott Senegal's legislative poll"] , AFP ("IOL"), May 14, 2007.] The ruling Sopi Coalition won 131 seats, including all 90 of the seats determined by majority voting. [http://www.seneweb.com/news/article/10765.php "Le Conseil constitutionnel confirme définitivement la large victoire de la Coalition Sopi"] , "Le Soleil" (Seneweb.com), June 15, 2007 fr.]

On 2 April, 12 opposition parties, including the former ruling Socialist Party and the Rewmi party of Idrissa Seck, who placed second in the presidential election, announced they would boycott the election, alleging that the electoral roll was doctored.Diadie Ba, [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20070402231657727C167529 "Senegal's opposition to boycott elections"] , Reuters ("IOL"), April 2, 2007.] They wanted the electoral roll to be revised and for a new, independent electoral commission to be created. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=36048 "Sénégal: l'opposition refuse de participer aux législatives du 3 juin"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), April 6, 2007 fr.] They had demanded that the Interior Minister, Ousmane Ngom, be dismissed; they also said that the constituencies were drawn to the advantage of the Democratic Party of President Abdoulaye Wade, and demanded that they be redrawn. Wade refused to talk to them and said that they could boycott if they wished. On 5 April, it was announced that the coalition And Defarat Sénégal, including And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism (AJ-PADS), would contest the election, with a spokesman saying that boycotts were not politically effective. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=25041 "Party coalition unveils bid for parliamentary polls in Senegal"] , African Press Agency, April 5, 2007.] On 6 April, several of the main parties participating in the boycott announced that they were withdrawing their guarantees of 15 million CFA francs in order to invalidate their candidacies, citing the unwillingness of Wade to engage in dialogue. Prior to the deadline at midnight on the same day, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=AFP54927laparniujed0 "La parité hommes/femmes pas applicable pour les législatives de juin"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), April 6, 2007 fr.] 15 parties or coalitions filed candidate lists with the Interior Ministry, which had three days to determine the validity of the lists. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=25158 "Fifteen parties confirm participation in Senegal’s June legislative elections"] , African Press Agency, April 7, 2007.] [http://www.seneweb.com/news/elections2007/article.php?artid=9602 "Ousmane Ngom : "15 listes candidates, c'est une performance à saluer"] , Agence du Presse Sénégalaise (Seneweb.com), April 7, 2007 fr.] Interior Minister Ngom pointed to the participation of 15 lists as evidence for the health of Senegalese democracy; others, however, have considered the situation to be a serious setback for democracy. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=36063 "Sénégal: le boycott des législatives par l'opposition porte un coup à la démocratie"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), April 7, 2007 fr.] 14 of the lists were approved and one, an independent list, was rejected. [ [http://www.seneweb.com/news/elections2007/article.php?artid=9734 "Législatives : Pourquoi la liste des indépendants a été rejetée"] , WalFadjri (Seneweb.com), April 14, 2007 fr.]

In late April, the boycotting parties began a tour intended to explain the boycott throughout the country. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=32017 "Senegalese opposition explains legistive boycott to electorate"] , African Press Agency, April 25, 2007.]

In late March, the National Assembly passed a law requiring gender parity in national candidate lists; this move was backed by Wade. [ [http://www.afrol.com/articles/24891 "Senegal guarantees gender balance in legislative polls"] , afrol News, March 28, 2007.] However, in early April it was reported that, due to an appeal against the law filed by the Socialist Party, the application of the law was suspended and it was not in effect for the June election.

According to an electoral commission official in May, over 4,000 candidates were standing for the 150 National Assembly seats. Previously the Assembly was composed of 120 seats. 90 of the seats in the new Assembly were to be decided through majority votes and 60 were to be decided through proportional representation. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=37070 "Morne campagne pour les législatives au Sénégal"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), May 31, 2007 fr.] Campaigning for the election began on 13 May and ran until midnight on 1 June. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=25696 "Senegalese Home Affairs ministry publishes lists of legislative polls"] , African Press Agency, April 14, 2007.] Members of the security forces voted a week early, on May 26 and May 27. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=34050 "Senegalese soldiers and paramilitary vote Saturday and Sunday"] , African Press Agency, May 26, 2007.] [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=34133 "Some Senegalese opposition parties call for boycott of legislative polls"] , African Press Agency, May 28, 2007.] Participation among the security forces was placed at 27.23%, and the boycotting parties (grouped into a coalition called the Siggil Sénégal Front) said that this indicated that the security forces observed the boycott. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=34568 "Senegalese vote for 150 MPs"] , African Press Agency, June 3, 2007.]

Initial reports regarding the June 3 election described voter turnout as low, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=37132 "Législatives au Sénégal: faible participation, boycottage de l'opposition"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), June 3, 2007 fr.] [http://apanews.net/articlespip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=34583 "Senegal : Wade urges citizens to vote massively in spite of opposition boycott"] , African Press Agency, June 3, 2007.] and it was estimated that turnout was no higher than 30-35%. [ [http://www.seneweb.com/news/elections2007/article.php?artid=10568 "ANALYSE : Fiasco électoral"] , SudQuotidien (Seneweb.com), June 4, 2007 fr.] Ngom and Prime Minister Macky Sall said that it was premature to say that turnout was low while voting was ongoing; Sall also argued that in any country, turnout in parliamentary elections is lower than in presidential elections. [ [http://www.seneweb.com/news/elections2007/article.php?artid=10561 "Macky Sall : "c'est prématuré de tirer des conclusions"] , Agence du Presse Senegalaise (Seneweb.com), June 3, 2007 fr.] In the February 2007 presidential election, turnout had been 70%; in the 2001 parliamentary election it was 67.4%. After voting, Wade expressed his hope for a large turnout but noted that voting is voluntary in Senegal. The Siggil Sénégal Front described turnout as very low and said that its boycott had been largely observed by the people. Ngom said that the next National Assembly would be legitimate regardless of the turnout rate. [ [http://www.seneweb.com/news/elections2007/article.php?artid=10570 "ME OUSMANE NGOM : «L’Assemblée nationale future sera légitime quel que soit le taux de participation»"] , "Le Matin" (Seneweb.com), June 4, 2007 fr.] Former president Abdou Diouf voted in the election in Paris, despite the participation of the Socialist Party, which he led while he was president, in the boycott. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=34582 "Senegal : former President votes in spite of opposition boycott"] , African Press Agency, June 3, 2007.]

An interior ministry estimate on June 4 placed turnout at about 38%. Sall said that the Sopi Coalition won all 35 electoral districts and all of the 90 seats determined by majority voting. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=37156 "Législatives au Sénégal: 38% de participation, l'opposition conteste"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), June 4, 2007 fr.] On the same day, the Siggil Sénégal Front demanded that Wade cancel the election and engage in dialogue with the opposition. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/senegal/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027lefrosevita0 "Le Front Siggil Sénégal demande l'annulation des élections législatives"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), June 4, 2007 fr.]

Provisional results were released on June 7 showed the Sopi Coalition with a total of 131 seats, taking all 90 of the seats determined by majority voting along with another 41 seats determined by proportional representation. Voter turnout was placed at 34.75%. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=34875 "Senegal : ruling coalition wins 131 out of 150 seats in parliament"] , African Press Agency, June 7, 2007.] [http://www.seneweb.com/news/elections2007/article.php?artid=10627 "SENEGAL-LEGISLATIVES-Les résultats provisoires des élections législatives"] , Agence du Presse Senegalaise (Seneweb.com), June 7, 2007 fr.] Final results from the Constitutional Council on June 14 confirmed Sopi's victory with 131 seats.

On June 19, Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré, who is considered a technocrat and is not a member of the PDS, was appointed Prime Minister by Wade, replacing Sall, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=37477 "Sénégal: un technocrate nommé au poste de Premier ministre"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), June 19, 2007 fr.] and a new government, largely similar to the old government and not including the opposition, was named on the same day. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=37483 "Sénégal: nouveau gouvernement sans grand changement, opposition absente"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), June 20, 2007 fr.]

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