Senegal opposition presses president to set local election date

Senegal’s opposition is urging President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to set a date for local elections, turning the vote into a potential early showdown with former ally Ousmane Sonko. The growing dispute comes after their political split and could shape the balance of power ahead of the 2029 presidential race.

Opposition parties are pressing President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to announce a date for municipal and departmental elections, which could become the first major electoral test of his increasingly strained relationship with former prime minister Ousmane Sonko.

The five-year mandates of local authorities expire in January, but Faye has yet to issue the decrees required to launch the electoral process, including the date of the vote and the opening of voter registration.

The FDR opposition coalition, led by the former ruling party of ex-president Macky Sall, has also rejected any postponement or extension of local officials’ mandates.

Sonko steps up criticism

Sonko has repeatedly called for the elections to be held on schedule and accused the president of delaying the process.

During a recent trip to northern areas, Sonko openly taunted Faye, urging supporters of their Pastef movement to maintain pressure until the president announces an election date.

The two men rose to power together in 2024, with Sonko backing Faye for the presidency after he was barred from running because of a defamation conviction. Their alliance later fractured, culminating in Faye removing Sonko as prime minister in May.

January deadline approaches

The timing of the election is becoming increasingly contentious.

According to Mor Fall, a law lecturer at Dakar University, the electoral code requires the decree setting the date of an election to be published at least 80 days before voting takes place.

That means an election held before the current local mandates expire in January would require the decree to be issued by early November.

But officials close to Faye have suggested there may be room for a later vote. Aminata Toure, an official in Faye’s newly created Kiiraay party, has said the president has the whole of 2027 to organise the elections, raising speculation that the vote could be postponed.

A new political fault line

Faye formally broke with Pastef in July by launching Kiiraay, or "The Republican Patriots", marking a deeper political rupture with Sonko.

The split has created uncertainty within the ruling movement, which remains the largest party in parliament, and has opened a new contest for influence ahead of the 2029 presidential election.

Many local councils are still controlled by the political forces of former president Macky Sall, adding another layer of competition to the coming vote.

President faces difficult calculations

Political analyst Pathe Mbodj said Faye may be reluctant to set a date while struggling to consolidate his authority.

"He is struggling to get a grip on the political situation," Mbodj told AFP, describing a "hybrid situation" in which the president does not yet exercise full political control.

A defeat to Sonko’s camp in local elections could weaken Faye well before 2029, Mbodj said, suggesting the president may prefer postponement to an immediate January contest.

However, any delay or extension of local officials’ mandates would require legislation passed by parliament, according to Fall.

Early legislative vote adds uncertainty

The local election dispute comes as questions also grow over the future of parliament.

Trade Minister Serigne Gueye Diop said this week that Faye was considering dissolving parliament in December and calling early legislative elections.

Local media have also reported that the president has sought the Constitutional Council’s opinion on the possibility of holding local and legislative elections simultaneously in 2027.

The presidency has not responded to requests for comment, leaving the timing of the next electoral contest uncertain.