Senegal has just elected its youngest president -Bassirou Diomaye Faye who was the opposition leader that led the race in Senegal’s presidential election. He is set to become president of Senegal after his main rival recognised his victory in elections that came barely days after he was freed from prison.
Faye will be taking over as the country’s fifth president by the outgoing President Macky Sall, who is stepping down after a second term. Bassirou Diomaye Faye (born 1980) is a Senegalese politician and a former tax inspector.
Millions of Senegalese nationals took part in a peaceful vote on Sunday, following three years of turbulence and opposition protests against the incumbent, Macky Sall.
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.
