Senegal: Police and protesters clash after Senegal election postponed, face crackdown | Oneindia - video Dailymotion

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In Dakar, the capital of Senegal, security forces employed tear gas and carried out notable arrests on Sunday in response to sporadic protests against the postponed presidential election scheduled for February 25. President Macky Sall declared the delay on Saturday, citing a dispute over the candidate list. The Constitutional Court's ruling, which excluded several candidates, prompted Sall's decision. Concurrently, lawmakers are scrutinising two judges from the court whose credibility in the election process has come under scrutiny.    #SenegalElection #ProtestClash #ElectionPostponed #GovernmentCrackdown #SenegalUnrest #PoliticalTensions #CivilUnrest #DemocracyChallenges #SecurityConfrontation #PublicOutcry #ElectoralDisruption #SocialUnrest #PoliticalCrisis #ProtestViolence #SenegalUprising #PoliticalTurmoil #DemocracyUnderStrain #StreetClashes #PublicOutrage #ElectoralIntegrityConcerns                 ~HT.292~GR.125~PR.152~ED.194~

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00:00 In Daka, the capital of Senegal, security forces employed tear gas and carried out notable

00:12 arrests on Sunday in response to sporadic protests against the postponed presidential

00:17 election scheduled for February 25.

00:21 President Macky Sall declared the delay on Saturday, citing a dispute over the candidate

00:25 list.

00:26 The Constitutional Court's ruling, which excluded several candidates, prompted Sall's decision.

00:32 Concurrently, lawmakers are scrutinizing two judges from the court whose credibility in

00:37 the election process has come under scrutiny.

00:40 The decision to postpone the presidential election in Senegal just a day before the

00:43 commencement of the campaign has faced criticism from opposition and civil society groups,

00:49 branding it an "institutional coup."

00:51 According to the country's election code, the earliest possible date for the rescheduled

00:55 vote is now late April.

00:58 This unexpected delay has stirred concerns about the integrity of the electoral process

01:02 and has intensified tensions among various political and civic factions.

01:07 Responding to calls by some opposition candidates, hundreds of men and women converged in the

01:11 early afternoon at a roundabout on one of Daka's main roads.

01:16 Groups of protesters blocked traffic at various points with makeshift barricades of burning

01:20 tyres.

01:21 Many of the protesters waved Senegalese flags or wore the jersey of the national football

01:26 team.

01:27 In one area, around 200 people retreated into side streets after police in riot gear fired

01:33 tear gas and started detaining protesters when some threw rocks at officers.

01:39 Several presidential candidates were detained in the melee, including former Prime Minister

01:42 Aminata Touré.

01:43 Touré wrote on ex, formerly known as Twitter, that she was detained and taken to a police

01:48 station in Daka as soon as she got out of her vehicle.

01:51 Other candidates arrested were Dauda Ndiaye and Anta Babakar Kham.

01:56 Calls for the rescheduling of the Senegalese presidential election have been led by the

01:59 United States, the European Union and France, the former colonial ruler.

02:04 These entities emphasised the importance of a prompt, transparent, inclusive and credible

02:09 election.

02:10 The EU, through spokesperson Nabila Masrali, expressed concerns about the introduced uncertainty

02:16 due to the delay.

02:17 Similarly, the French Foreign Ministry urged Senegalese authorities to clarify the electoral

02:22 timetable promptly, aligning with the principles of Senegalese democracy.

02:26 The economic community of West African states has also voiced its apprehension regarding

02:31 the circumstances leading to the postponement.

02:34 ECOWAS called for a swift determination of a new election date and urged Senegalese politicians

02:40 to prioritise dialogue and collaboration for transparent, inclusive and credible elections,

02:45 as stated in their official statement.

02:48 Despite the official postponement, at least two of the 20 presidential candidates planned

02:53 to initiate their campaigns on Sunday, indicating a divergence from the established timeline.

02:58 Senegal, traditionally regarded as a rare example of democratic stability in West Africa,

03:03 is now grappling with challenges that have disrupted its political landscape.

03:07 This situation contrasts with a region that has witnessed a series of coups in recent

03:11 years affecting countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

03:16 The disqualification of opposition leaders and deadly clashes involving opposition supporters

03:20 further underscore the complexities surrounding the upcoming election.

03:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Senegal: Police and protesters clash after Senegal election postponed, face crackdown | Oneindia

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