Senegal election delay ruled unlawful

SENEGAL: The decision to postpone this month’s elections in Senegal is against the country’s constitution, the country’s top court has ruled.

The Constitutional Council annulled President Macky Sall’s decree and a contentious bill passed by parliament moving the vote to December.

Widespread protests have gripped the West African country, once considered a bastion of democracy in the region.

Opposition figures said it amounted to an “constitutional coup”.

Mr Sall had announced he was pushing the election back because of concerns over the eligibility of opposition candidates.

His proposal had been backed by 105 out of the 165 MPs after a fiery debate which saw police remove some opposition MPs from the chamber. A six-month postponement was originally proposed, but a last-minute amendment extended it to 10 months, or 15 December.

Mr Sall had reiterated that he was not planning to run for office again. But his critics accused him of either trying to cling on to power or unfairly influencing whoever succeeds him.

Opposition candidates and lawmakers, who had filed a number of legal challenges to the bill, will feel vindicated by the court’s decision on Thursday evening.