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In Senegal, the real test for the opposition begins now

In Senegal, while the opposition held the coalition in power in check during the legislative elections, the parties of Sonko and Wade will have to agree with other parties to hope to obtain the prime minister's office.

Five days after the legislative elections and four days after both claimed victory, the two main coalitions in Senegal must already be thinking about the post-election period. Because today, difficult - if not impossible - to achieve an absolute majority.

The coalition of President Macky Sall, Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY), once a large majority, has indeed lost 43 seats, according to provisional results published by the National Commission for the Counting of Votes (CNRV). With 82 seats in the National Assembly, against 125 before the elections, Macky Sall's coalition narrowly lacks an absolute majority. It only has a 2 seat lead over the opposition, pending the final results scheduled for early next week.

Towards an absolute majority for the opposition?

Whatever happens, the coming years promise to be decisive for the opposition. If the latter has united in view of the legislative elections, it will above all have to remain united if it wants to weigh in the future: of the 80 seats obtained by the opposition, 56 will go to the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition of Ousmane Sonko and 24 to that of Wallu Senegal by Abdoulaye Wade.

But the stakes are even greater in the short term. After Macky Sall has revived the post of Prime Minister, there is a place to be taken. The game of alliances will therefore be essential in the days to come. If the results remain unchanged, the presidential camp will only have one deputy to rally to its cause to have an absolute majority. Suffice to say that the few elected candidates from Bokk Gis Gis, the Alternative coalition for a ruptured assembly (AAR) and the Servants will be highly coveted.

But while waiting to find out who will succeed in taking the absolute majority – a priori, the three parties will join the opposition – Ousmane Sonko has planned to play an important role. And it starts today with a campaign of protests: "We reject these results," said Déthié Fall, one of the executives of the Yewwi Askan Wi-Wallu Senegal alliance, which intends to ask that the ballots are recounted. “The Yewwi Askan Wi coalition did not sign the CNRV minutes because we cannot accept this refusal,” Fall added.

From the streets to the political arena

The opposition coalition assures that, after the final count, it lacks two deputies, in particular after "ballot stuffing" in the north of the country, near Matam, Podor, Ranérou and Kanel. Ousmane Sonko speaks of “confiscation of victory” and “massive fraud enterprise”. We are far from the enthusiasm displayed by Macky Sall, who assures that the ballot took place “in calm, serenity and transparency”.

Are we moving towards a cohabitation? It was in any case the will of the opposition, which intended to delight the Prime Minister. With one goal: to make the last two years of Macky Sall's mandate a real hell. Sonko and his supporters want to do everything to prevent the president from running for a third term.

The real test for Sonko and Wade begins today. By an attempt to rally the last opposition candidates to their cause, first of all. Then by a desire to enter the political game: after having made himself heard in the street, Yewwi Askan Wi will now have to play his role within the National Assembly, without blocking the country at each presidential decision.

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