Senegal still waiting for Sunday's poll results

Senegal still waiting for Sunday's poll results

Alex Duval Smith

BBC News, Senegal

Posted at 16:40

AFP

Senegalese voted for a new parliament last Sunday

Voters in Senegal are still waiting to be told the final results of last Sunday's parliamentary election.

The electoral commission and the interior ministry, who jointly organised the poll, claim there are several reasons for the delay.

These include difficulties in transporting ballot boxes and officials, caused by the rainy season, and the fact that the election featured an unprecedented number of lists of candidates - 47 - which complicates the count.

But opposition politicians, such as former president Abdoulaye Wade and the coalition supporting jailed Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, claim foul play.

The backers of Mr Sall, who is in jail awaiting trial on alleged charges of misspending city funds, claim the delay is evidence of ‘’a regression in democracy’’ in Senegal.

Partial results are being issued day by day and yesterday it was announced that President Macky Sall’s ruling coalition, Benno Bokk Yaakaar (BBY), had won all seven of Dakar's parliamentary seats, scoring 53% of the vote.

The mayor's party, Manko Taxawu Senegal, came second, just 2,700 votes behind.