DAKAR: Senegal’s anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to become president after his main rival on Monday recognised his victory in elections that came barely days after he was freed from prison.

The win by the opposition candidate who will be Senegal’s youngest president could trigger a political earthquake with policies that transform the country. Faye, 44, promised left-wing pan-Africanism and to renegotiate gas and oil contracts, with Senegal due to start production on recently discovered oil and gas reserves later this year.

The opposition candidate has never held a nationally elected position and has not yet spoken publicly since Sunday’s election, which followed three years of unrest and a political crisis. His main rival from the governing coalition, Amadou Ba, recognised Faye’s win in the first-round of the vote and offered his congratulations, a statement said.

“Considering the trends of the presidential election results and awaiting the official declaration, I congratulate the president Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye on his victory in the first round,” Ba said in the statement.

Government spokesman Abdou Karim Fofana also said that Ba had called his rival to congratulate him. Faye had appeared clearly ahead of 62-year-old former prime minister Ba, according to provisional results from individual polling stations published by local media and on social networks.

Official results are expected before the end of the week. An absolute majority was required for a first-round win. Newspaper front pages had already congratulated Faye. “Happy Birthday Mister President,” said the Walf Quotidien, referring to Monday being Faye’s birthday. Hundreds of jubilant Faye supporters had gathered at his campaign headquarters in the capital Dakar.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2024