Africa-Press – Angola. The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, congratulated, this Saturday, the newly elected President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye.
“I have the immense pleasure of offering you my warm and warm congratulations on your victory in the presidential elections that took place last Sunday”, reads a message published on the Facebook page of the Presidency of the Republic.
João Lourenço considers that Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye’s victory confirms the justice of the ideals of social justice and patriotism, defended in his political project, supported at the polls by Senegalese voters.
“I am convinced that together we will create a new dynamic in our relations towards affirming our sovereignty and defending the interests of our respective peoples”, predicts the Angolan statesman.
He wished the elected President of Senegal success, expressing his “highest and fraternal consideration”.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye was officially confirmed, this Friday (29), by the Constitutional Council, as President-elect of Senegal with 54.28% of the votes.
He takes office next Tuesday, April 2nd, the last day of the term of office of the outgoing President, Macky Sall.
Elections in Senegal
The Constitutional Council confirmed the preliminary results announced by the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA) at the end of the first round of the presidential elections on March 24th.
In second place was the candidate of the ruling coalition and former prime minister, Amadou Ba, who obtained 35.79% of the votes and, in third place, Aliou Mamadou Dia with 2.8% of the votes.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Macky Sall met on Thursday, at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of Ousmane Sonko, the leader of the opposition and supporter of the new President, putting an end to years of virulent political combat.
At 44 years old, Bassirou Diomaye Faye becomes the youngest President of Senegal and represents the first time in the country’s history that an opposition candidate is elected in the first round of the presidential elections.
Released from prison 10 days before the vote, together with his mentor Ousmane Sonko, Diomaye Faye presented himself during the campaign as “the candidate of rupture”, but defended “national reconciliation”.
Seven million Senegalese were called to the polls, on the 24th of this month, to choose the new President, in an election in which its biggest protagonists did not vote.
Among the 16 men and one woman registered on the ballot, the two favorites (Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Amadou Ba) were personal choices of two political individuals excluded from the ballot, namely, the outgoing President, Macky Sall, and the opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko.
Amadou Ba ran for the ruling coalition, Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY, United for Hope, in Wolof), made up of President Macky Sall’s party, which promptly recognized his opponent’s victory.
In his first public appearance since announcing his victory, Bassirou Faye promised that his country would continue to be “the safe and reliable ally” of any foreign partner “who is committed to virtuous, respectful and mutually productive cooperation”.
Senegal is a West African country with around 18 million inhabitants.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
