Senate of Senegal

The Senate of Senegal ( _fr. Sénat du Sénégal) has been the upper house of the Parliament of Senegal from 1999 until 2001 and again since 2007.

History and elections

The Senate was initially established during the presidency of Abdou Diouf in 1999, but in 2001, after Abdoulaye Wade won the previous year's presidential election, it was abolished with the introduction of a new constitution. It was established again in 2007 with 100 seats: 65 appointed by the president and 35 elected by about 12,000 deputies and local councillors. The ruling Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) won 34 of the 35 elected seats in the senatorial election held on August 19 2007; one seat, for Vélingara Department, was won by And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism (AJ/PADS). Five other groups participated but did not win seats. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/senegal/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=AFP05157lepousuvruo0 "Le pouvoir remporte 34 des 35 sièges de sénateurs pourvus"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), August 20, 2007 fr icon.] [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/senegal/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027leconselair0 "Le Conseil constitutionnel confirme la victoire du PDS aux élections sénatoriales"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), August 28, 2007 fr icon.] Most of the main opposition parties boycotted the senatorial election, as they did the June 2007 National Assembly election.

Following the election, the Senate was installed on September 26 2007, [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/senegal/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=PAN70027lenoulagnsu0 "Le nouveau Sénat a été installé au Sénégal"] , Panapress (Jeuneafrique.com), September 25, 2007 fr icon.] and Pape Diop was elected as its President on October 3. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=39492 "Sénégal: Pape Diop, un proche de Wade, élu président du Sénat"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), October 3, 2007 fr icon.]

References