2017 Senegalese parliamentary election
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All 165 seats in the National Assembly
83 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Macky Sall Abdoulaye Wade Khalifa Sall
Alliance BBY MWS MTS
Last election 119 seats, 53.06% New coalition New coalition
Seats won 125 19 7
Seat change Increase6 Increase7 Increase7
Popular vote 1,637,761 552,095 388,188
Percentage 49.47% 16.68% 11.73%
Swing Decrease3.59 Increase1.45 New
Prime Minister before election

Mohammed Dionne
Independent

Prime Minister after election

Mohammed Dionne
Independent

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Parliamentary elections were held in Senegal on 30 July 2017,[1] having originally been planned for 2 July.[2]

Background

The original election date was chosen on 1 December 2016 after a meeting between the President of Senegal Macky Sall and the Opposition in the National Assembly.[2]

The coalition of parties supporting President Sall, Benno Bokk Yaakaar, sought to retain the parliamentary majority it obtained in the 2012 parliamentary election. It included Sall's party, the Alliance for the Republic, as well as the Socialist Party and the Alliance of the Forces of Progress.[1] The coalition's national candidate list was headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Dionne.[1][3]

Plans for a united opposition coalition that would incorporate the Senegalese Democratic Party of Abdoulaye Wade as well as the supporters of imprisoned Dakar Mayor Khalifa Sall were ultimately scuttled in late May 2017 because the two sides could not agree on who should head the coalition's candidate list. Consequently the two sides decided to stand separately, with Wade and Khalifa Sall each heading their respective lists. The opposition's failure to unite was viewed as a boon for President Sall, making it appear more likely that he would keep his parliamentary majority; if his supporters lost, he would be forced into cohabitation for the remaining two years of his term, greatly curtailing his powers.[4][5]

Electoral system

The 165 members of the National Assembly are elected by two methods; 90 are elected by either first-past-the-post or party bloc vote in 35 single- or multi-member constituencies based on the 35 departments, with an additional 15 elected by overseas voters.[6] The other 60 seats are elected from a nationwide constituency by proportional representation, with seats allocated initially using the simple quotient, with remaining seats allocated using the largest remainder method.[7]

Campaign

The official campaign period began on 8 July. Wade, who had been living in France, returned to Dakar on 10 July to begin campaigning for his coalition, Manko Wattu Sénégal.[8] A record number of parties, 47, contested the elections.[6]

Results

Voter turnout was reported to be 54%.[6] Prime Minister Dionne, speaking on 31 July, said that the pro-Sall Benno Bokk Yaakaar coalition had prevailed in 42 out of the 45 departments of Senegal (all but Kédougou, Saraya and "probably" Mbacké). The opposition coalition led by Khalifa Sall, however, said that it had won in Dakar, the capital.[9] Results for Dakar released on 3 August showed Benno Bokk Yaakaar slightly ahead of Khalifa Sall's coalition, Manko Taxawu Sénégal.[10]

Provisional results released on 4 August showed Benno Bokk Yaakaar winning 125 out of 165 seats, a strong majority. The two main opposition coalitions trailed distantly; Manko Wattu Sénégal (led by Wade) obtained 19 seats and Manko Taxawu Sénégal (led by Khalifa Sall) obtained seven seats.[11][12] The presidential coalition was slightly short of a majority in the vote count, receiving 49.5% of the votes.[12]

PartyVotes%Seats
ConstituencyNationalTotal
United in Hope1,637,76149.479530125
Manko Wattu Sénégal Coalition552,09516.6891019
Manko Taxawu Sénégal Coalition388,18811.73077
Party for Unity and Rally155,4074.69033
Patriotic Convergence Coalition65,2351.97112
Ndawi Askan Wi37,5351.13011
Manko Yeesal Senegal Coalition33,1301.00011
Patriotic Convergence for Justice and Equity29,5960.89011
Oser l'avenir Coalition24,3420.74011
National Alliance for Democracy – Saxal Liggeey23,1420.70011
Party for Truth and Development22,7690.69011
Alternative Pole Third Voice19,6750.59011
Initiative for a Policy of Development19,2110.58011
Citizen Union18,2680.55011
Union for Federalism and Democracy17,6360.53000
Senegal Can Kanam Coalition16,1420.49000
Manko Wattu Senegal coalition14,6810.44000
Movement for Republican Renewal14,2550.43000
Joyyanti Coalition14,2310.43000
Défar Senegal14,1790.43000
And Défar Sénégal/Group of Support and Renewal of Public Action13,1450.40000
And Suxali Senegal Coalition12,5410.38000
Rally for Dignity and Prosperity11,4150.34000
Democratic Federation of Ecologists of Senegal10,9570.33000
Leeral Coalition9,6890.29000
Party of Peace8,8500.27000
Convergence of the Initiatives for Senegal8,7760.27000
Neneen Citizen Convention8,7270.26000
Mbollo Wade8,0930.24000
Sunu Party for Solidarity and the Development of Senegal7,7580.23000
Alternative Visions for Senegal7,5900.23000
Fal Askan Wi Coalition7,4740.23000
Framework of Reflection for Integral Development7,2950.22000
Soppali Coalition7,2680.22000
The Third Policy Coalition7,0330.21000
National Front6,6050.20000
Party for Citizen Action6,5510.20000
Senegal-Vein Environment6,3980.19000
Senegalese Democratic Rally6,0990.18000
Alliance for Reform and Development5,6640.17000
Citizens for Ethics and Transparency4,9800.15000
Dental Senegal/Patriotic Action4,3000.13000
Movement for Renewal, Freedom and Development4,1930.13000
Patriotic Liberal Convergence3,3010.10000
Republican Patriotic Front3,1560.10000
Bi Nu Begg Assembly Coalition2,9510.09000
Rally for Ethics and Emerging Values2,1480.06000
Total3,310,435100.0010560165
Valid votes3,310,43599.19
Invalid/blank votes27,0590.81
Total votes3,337,494100.00
Registered voters/turnout6,219,44653.66
Source: Senego

Aftermath

Following the victory of Benno Bokk Yaakaar, President Sall reappointed Dionne as Prime Minister on 6 September 2017.[13] Abdoulaye Wade, elected to the National Assembly as the top candidate on his coalition's candidate list, announced his resignation as a Deputy on 10 September, before the National Assembly even began meeting. He explained that his purpose in running was merely to support his coalition in the election.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c Leitner, Claire (30 June 2017). "Senegal – A divided opposition for the legislative election". CNBCAfrica. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Sénégal: élections législatives le 2 juillet 2017". Le Figaro (in French). 12 December 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Législatives : Les listes de Benno Bokk Yaakaar". Seneweb (in French). 10 June 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  4. ^ "Sénégal : l’ancien président Wade candidat aux législatives", Le Monde, 30 May 2017 (in French).
  5. ^ Benjamin Roger, "Législatives sénégalaises : la coalition de l’opposition implose, Abdoulaye Wade sur le retour", Jeune Afrique, 30 May 2017 (in French).
  6. ^ a b c "Sénégal : les électeurs dans l’attente des résultats des législatives", Jeune Afrique, 31 July 2017 (in French)
  7. ^ "Senegal Assemblée nationale (National Assembly)". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  8. ^ Benjamin Roger, "Sénégal : Abdoulaye Wade de retour à Dakar pour mener campagne", Jeune Afrique, 10 July 2017 (in French).
  9. ^ "Législatives au Sénégal: la majorité revendique une large victoire" Archived 2017-08-02 at the Wayback Machine, Agence France-Presse, 1 August 2017 (in French).
  10. ^ "Législatives au Sénégal : la coalition de Macky Sall victorieuse à Dakar selon les résultats partiels", Jeune Afrique, 3 August 2017 (in French).
  11. ^ "Senegal ruling party wins large parliamentary majority", Reuters, 5 August 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Sénégal : la majorité présidentielle remporte haut la main les législatives", Agence France-Presse, 5 August 2017 (in French).
  13. ^ "Sénégal : Macky Sall reconduit son Premier ministre", Jeune Afrique, 6 September 2017 (in French).
  14. ^ "Sénégal : Abdoulaye Wade démissionne de son poste de député à l’Assemblée Nationale", Jeune Afrique, 11 September 2017 (in French).
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