Six months after he was elected as Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced that snap elections will be held on November 17th, after he dissolved the country’s parliament. According to analysts, Faye, whose party does not currently hold a majority in parliament, stands a high chance of securing one.
The move has been denounced by the opposition platform, Benno Bokk Yaakar, led by former President Macky Sall; they accused Faye of perjury.
Senegal’s youngest leader, Faye, 44, came out on top in the vote in April, just days after being released from prison along with Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
He pledged a series of sweeping reforms to improve living standards in the country, which has one of the highest inflation rates in West Africa. He also pledged to stamp out corruption and to secure a higher share of Senegal’s natural resources for the population.
But these promises have yet to come to fruition. Faye and Sonko say the fact that their party does not hold a majority in parliament has prevented them from carrying out the changes.
Every year, thousands of people leave Senegal to Europe, in search of better economic opportunities.