Two opposition leaders in Senegal are excluded from the final list of presidential candidates
Senegal’s highest election authority has excluded two top opposition leaders from the final list of candidates for the West African nation’s presidential election next month
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal's highest election authority has excluded two top opposition leaders from the final list of candidates for the West African nation’s presidential election next month. The party of the main challenger called the move a “dangerous precedent” on Sunday.
The list published Saturday by Senegal’s Constitutional Council named 20 candidates, including Prime Minister Amadou Ba, who has the backing of outgoing President Macky Sall and is seen as a major contender.
Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who finished third in the country’s 2019 presidential election,was disqualified from the ballot because he faces a six-month suspended sentence following his conviction for defamation, the Constitutional Council said.
“This conviction renders him ineligible for a period of five years,” the council said.
