Will Senegal be upset by big projects?

Senegal has witnessed a wave of ambitious big budget inaugurations in recent months, including a new train line, a new bridge and the imposing Museum of Black Civilizations.

President Macky Sall, who is seeking a second term in Sunday's elections, has thankfully opened his eyes.

"I will vote for the first time and my choice is Macky Sall," said Mouhamad Thiam at the BBC at a rally to support the president in the city of Kaolack, about 225 km east of the capital. Dakar.

"I think his record is positive, his program is positive, his achievements are positive."

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However, while the 57-year-old, who has been in power since 2012, is praised by some for setting up these schemes, others are more cynical about a more general lack of development.

These frustrations and fears that the electoral process is flawed mean that the incumbent may be surprised to be removed from office.

In a country where nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line, many people find it hard to understand how Mr. Sall has improved their lives.

"Young people need jobs"

"These projects do not matter, it's politics," said Mamadou Senghor, taxi-motorcycle driver in Kaolack.

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"What is the point of building toll highways if young people do not have work to pay them?"

"Before building highways, we must industrialize the economy so that young people can find a job and support their families."

More than 6.6 million people are registered on the electoral roll and the choice of those whom the young people decide to support could have a significant impact, given that the average age of the country is 19 years old.

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Senegal, where there have been three peaceful transitions of power since independence in 1960, has long been considered a model of stability on the continent.

But a number of politicians and human rights groups expressed their concerns before the vote.

"Senegal is absolutely not a model," said Oumar Toure, also known as "Thiat", a reputed rapper and activist in the country.

"Macky Sall has made our country democratically regress."

backlash

Many have criticized the decision of the Constitutional Council to ban the candidacy of two main opposition candidates.

The former popular mayor of Dakar, Khalifa Sall, and the son of former president, Karim Wade, have been found ineligible to run for corruption convictions.

As a result of this decision, no two parties – the Socialist Party and the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) – respectively dominated by the country 's political landscape since independence, have come to the party. ;election.

"The race is already set," said Thiat, also a founding member of the activist group Y & # 39; en Marre (Enough is Enough).

"The process is fraudulent because there are candidates who have been jailed for political reasons that are not in the interest of the Senegalese people – which means that our justice system has been manipulated."

The government denies these accusations. But that's not the only criticism he's faced.

Following the adoption of a law in 2018, a law required candidates to carry a certain number of signatures of voters to be able to stand as a candidate.

As a result, only five candidates were found eligible for the February 24 vote, compared to 12 in the last election.

The two main candidates besides the incumbent are:

• Idrissa Seck, former Prime Minister with the support of Mr Sall, former Mayor of Dakar
• Ousmane Sonko, former tax inspector appreciated by young people

The two remaining candidates are El Hadji Issa Sall, who ranks among the most religious and conservative voters, and Madicke Niang, a former minister, former close ally of former president Abdoulaye Wade, who lost the country's most conservative and conservative voters. election of 2012.

Wade called on the voters to boycott the vote, saying it had been set in advance for the outgoing president.

Aged 92, a prominent political figure in the country since the late 1970s, he now asks voters to attack polling stations, burn their voter cards and voter lists.

The government warned that anyone involved in illegal actions would be prosecuted, adding that Mr. Wade's remarks were irresponsible and subversive.

Mr. Sall was a member of Mr. Wade's PDS party, but he split up to form his own coalition, APR-Yakaar.

In the second round in 2012, he beat his former boss, in power for 12 years.

In the first round, Mr. Wade polled 34.8% and Mr. Sall came in second with 26.6%. But most of the other 12 candidates supported Mr. Sall in the second round, ensuring his victory.

This time, he may have a taste of his own medicine if he fails to get more than 50% of the votes in the first round and if the opposition decides to badociate to send him back.