Politics of Senegal

This article is about recent and past political developments in Senegal. For the Senegal government, see Government of Senegal.

Politics in Senegal takes place within the framework of a presidential democratic republic. The President of Senegal is the head of state and government. Executive power in Senegal is concentrated in the president's hands.

While legislative power is technically vested in both the government and the parliament, the parliament rarely introduces legislation or votes down legislation proposed by the government. Similarly, although the Judiciary is theoretically independent of the executive and the legislature, the executive branch seems to exert undue control over the judiciary.

Senegal is one of the few African states that has never experienced a coup d'état or exceptionally harsh authoritarianism. Léopold Senghor, the first president after independence, resigned in 1981, handing over the office of president to his Prime Minister, Abdou Diouf. The present president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, was elected in democratic elections in March 2024.

Senegal has a reputation for transparency in government operations. The level of economic corruption that has damaged the development of the economies in other parts of the world is very low. Today Senegal has a democratic political culture, being part of one of the most successful democratic transitions in Africa.

The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Senegal a "hybrid regime" in 2022.

Introduction

Political system

The President is elected by universal adult suffrage to a 5-year term (before: to a 7-year term). The unicameral National Assembly has 150 members, who are elected separately from the President. The Socialist Party dominated the National Assembly until April 2001, when in free and fair legislative elections, President Wade's coalition won a majority (90 of 150 seats).

The Cour Suprême (Highest Appeals Court, equivalent to the U.S. Supreme Court) and the Constitutional Council, the justices of which are named by the President, are the nation's highest tribunals. Senegal is divided into 11 administrative regions, each headed by a governor appointed by and responsible to the President. The law on decentralization, which came into effect in January 1998, distributed significant central government authority to regional assemblies.

Political culture

Senegal's principal political party was for 40 years the Socialist Party (PS). Its domination of political life came to an end in March 2000, when Abdoulaye Wade, the leader of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and leader of the opposition for more than 25 years, won the presidency. Under the terms of a 2016 amendment to the 2001 constitution, future presidents will serve for 5 years and be limited to two terms. Sall was the last President to be elected to a 7-year term.

President Wade advanced a liberal agenda for Senegal, including privatizations and other market-opening measures. He had a strong interest in raising Senegal's regional and international profile. The country, nevertheless, has limited means with which to implement ambitious ideas. The liberalization of the economy is proceeding, but at a slow pace. Senegal continues to play a significant role in regional and international organizations. President Wade has made excellent relations with the United States a high priority.

There are presently some 72 political parties, most of which are marginal and little more than platforms for their leaders. The principal political parties, however, constitute a true multiparty, democratic political culture, and they have contributed to one of the most successful democratic transitions in Africa, even among all developing countries. A flourishing independent media, largely free from official or informal control, also contributes to the democratic politics of Senegal.

However, the image of Wade as a constitutional democrat has been tarnished by events at the end of his mandate. When faced with internal dissent within his own party his main opponent Idrissa Seck was arrested, accused of treason. Wade refused to go along with holding presidential elections in 2006, arguing that there were economic reasons for wanting to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously in 2007.

Initially Wade's government had the support of a broad section of groups opposed to the socialist government, but gradually individual parties have disassociated themselves from the government and joined the opposition efforts led by PS. In 2011, Wade attempted to amend the Constitution to allow him to run for another term in office. Large protests by opponents erupted, throughout the Summer of 2011, as well as large counter-protests by government supporters. The crisis has deepened political rifts within the country, which has long been a rare example of stability in the region.

After Senegal's Constitutional Court approved Wade's bid to run for a third presidential term, street protests broke out. The top court's decision was controversial as the Senegalese constitutional amendment, which places a two-term limit on the presidential office, was established about a year after Wade came into power in 2000.

In March 2012, the incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade lost the presidential election and Macky Sall was elected as the new President of Senegal. In August 2017, the ruling party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary election. President Macky Sall's ruling coalition took 125 seats in the 165-seat National Assembly. In 2019 president Macky Sall easily won re-election in the first round.

In March 2024, Opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye won the Senegal’s presidential election over the candidate of the ruling coalition, becoming the youngest president in Senegal’s history.

Executive

Main article: Cabinet of Senegal

Political parties and elections

Main articles: List of political parties in Senegal and Elections in Senegal

Presidential elections

Main article: 2024 Senegalese presidential election

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Bassirou Diomaye Faye	PASTEF	2,434,751	54.28
	Amadou Ba	Alliance for the Republic	1,605,086	35.79
	Aliou Mamadou Dia	Party for Unity and Rally	125,690	2.80
	Khalifa Sall	Manko Taxawu Sénégal	69,760	1.56
	Idrissa Seck	Rewmi	40,286	0.90
	Thierno Alassane Sall	Republic of Values	25,946	0.58
	Boubacar Camara	Party of Construction and Solidarity	23,359	0.52
	Aly Ngouille Ndiaye	Independent	20,964	0.47
	Papa Djibril Fall	The Servants / MPR	18,304	0.41
	Serigne Mboup	Independent	16,049	0.36
	Déthié Fall	Republican Party for Progress	15,836	0.35
	Daouda Ndiaye	Independent	15,895	0.35
	Anta Babacar Ngom	Alternative for the Next Generation of Citizens	15,457	0.34
	Cheikh Tidiane Dieye	Independent	15,172	0.34
	Mamadou Diao	Independent	14,591	0.33
	Mamadou Lamine Diallo	National Patriotic Union/Tekki	9,998	0.22
	Mahammed Dionne	Independent	8,435	0.19
	Malick Gakou	Grand Party	6,343	0.14
	Habib Sy	Independent	3,206	0.07
Total			4,485,128	100.00
Valid votes			4,485,128	99.24
Invalid/blank votes			34,125	0.76
Total votes			4,519,253	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			7,371,890	61.30
Source: Conseil constitutionnel

Parliamentary elections

Main article: 2024 Senegalese parliamentary election

According to provisional results, PASTEF won in a large majority of polling stations, and were the most-voted for party in 40 of the 46 departments and seven of the eight diaspora constituencies. Following the announcement of the results, Amadou Ba and Barthélémy Dias, who led separate opposition coalitions, conceded defeat. Takku Wallu Sénégal leader and former president Macky Sall accused PASTEF of organising "massive fraud", but later conceded defeat. On 22 November the National Commission confirmed the official results, with PASTEF winning 130 of the 165 seats. This was the largest majority obtained by a single party in a legislative election in Senegal since 1988.

Party or alliance		Votes	%	Seats
				National	Departmental	Total
	Patriots of Senegal	1,991,770	54.97	29	101	130
	Takku Wallu Sénégal	531,466	14.67	8	8	16
	Jàmm ak Njariñ	330,865	9.13	5	2	7
	Sàmm Sa Kàddu	222,060	6.13	3	0	3
	The March of the Territories / Andu Nawlé	47,636	1.31	1	1	2
	Farlu	28,303	0.78	1	0	1
	The Nationalists / Jël Linu Moom	26,876	0.74	1	0	1
	Kiraay ak Natangue	26,775	0.74	1	0	1
	Sénégaal Kese	25,822	0.71	1	0	1
	Sopi Senegal	22,991	0.63	1	0	1
	And Ci Koolutè Nguir Senegal	21,391	0.59	1	0	1
	And Beesal Sénégal	20,765	0.57	1	0	1
	Bës Du Ñakk	19,923	0.55	0	0	0
	And Liggey Sunu Rew	19,373	0.53	0	0	0
	And Suxali Production, Transport and Commerce	16,570	0.46	0	0	0
	And Liguey Sénégal ak Racine	16,521	0.46	0	0	0
	Together for Senegal	16,482	0.45	0	0	0
	Great Rally of Artisans of Senegal	16,448	0.45	0	0	0
	Dëkkal Teranga	16,446	0.45	0	0	0
	Jubanti Senegal	15,740	0.43	0	0	0
	Gox Yu Bess	15,510	0.43	0	0	0
	Reincarnation of Values / Naataange	14,736	0.41	0	0	0
	And Doolel Liguey Kat Yi	12,881	0.36	0	0	0
	Federation of Renewal	12,277	0.34	0	0	0
	Manko Liggeeyal Sénégal	11,733	0.32	0	0	0
	National Alliance for the Fatherland	11,535	0.32	0	0	0
	Nafoore Senegal	10,577	0.29	0	0	0
	Samm Sunu Rew – Jotali Kaddu Askanwi	10,171	0.28	0	0	0
	Actions	10,150	0.28	0	0	0
	Dundu Leneen	9,686	0.27	0	0	0
	Xaal Yoon	8,650	0.24	0	0	0
	National Union for Integration, Work and Equity	8,511	0.23	0	0	0
	Private Sector	7,415	0.20	0	0	0
	Union Naatall Kaaw-Gui	7,274	0.20	0	0	0
	Wax Jëf	6,850	0.19	0	0	0
	Union of Patriotic Groups	6,467	0.18	0	0	0
	Wareef	5,868	0.16	0	0	0
	Bunt Bi	5,125	0.14	0	0	0
	Défar Sa Gokh	5,125	0.14	0	0	0
	Alliance Jëf Jël	5,045	0.14	0	0	0
	Sàmm Sa Gàfaka! Sàmm Sa Ëllëg!	3,824	0.11	0	0	0
Total		3,623,633	100.00	53	112	165
Valid votes		3,623,633	99.28
Invalid/blank votes		26,326	0.72
Total votes		3,649,959	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		7,371,891	49.51
Source: Vie Publique

By department

Department	Total seats	Seats won
		PASTEF	Takku Wallu	Jàmm ak Njariñ	Andu Nawlé
Bakel	2	2
Bambey	2	2
Bignona	2	2
Birkelane	1	1
Bounkiling	2	2
Dagana	2	2
Dakar	7	7
Diourbel	2	2
Fatick	2	2
Foundiougne	2	2
Gossas	1				1
Goudiry	1		1
Goudomp	2	2
Guédiawaye	2	2
Guinguinéo	1	1
Kaffrine	2	2
Kanel	2		2
Kaolack	2	2
Kébémer	2	2
Kédougou	1	1
Keur Massar	2	2
Kolda	2	2
Koumpentoum	2	2
Koungheul	2	2
Linguère	2	2
Louga	2	2
Malem Hodar	1	1
Matam	2		2
Mbacké	5	5
M'bour	4	4
Médina Yoro Foulah	2	2
Nioro du Rip	2	2
Oussouye	1	1
Pikine	5	5
Podor	2			2
Ranérou Ferlo	1		1
Rufisque	2	2
Saint-Louis	2	2
Salémata	1	1
Saraya	1	1
Sédhiou	2	2
Tambacounda	2	2
Thiès	4	4
Tivaouane	2	2
Vélingara	2	2
Ziguinchor	2	2
Total	97	87	7	2	1

By overseas constituency

Constituency	Total seats	Seats won
		PASTEF	Takku Wallu
America and Oceania	1	1
Asia and the Middle East	1	1
Central Africa	1		1
North Africa	1	1
Southern Africa	1	1
Southern Europe	3	3
West Africa	3	3
Western, Central and Northern Europe	3	3
Total	15	14	1

Judicial branch

The nation's highest courts that deal with business issues are the constitutional council, and the Court of Cassation, members of which are named by the president.

Administrative divisions

Further information: Administrative divisions of Senegal

Senegal is subdivided into 13 regions (régions, singular – région):

Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kédougou, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Sédhiou, Tambacounda, Thiès, Ziguinchor. Local administrators are all appointed by and responsible to the President.

See also

• Government of Senegal
• Roger Roche, founder of a cell of the French Communist Party in Rufisque in 1925.