Senegal’s new president, Bassirou Diomaye DiakharFaye, on Tuesday pledged to make his West African country one of hope, independent justice and strengthened democracy.
“This is my promise on the strength of the oath that I have just sworn before God and before the Nation in your presence,” he said after being sworn in before members of the Constitutional Council at the exhibition hall of the Abdou Diouf de Diamniadio International Conference Centre (CICAD), some 30 Kms outside the capital, Dakar.
“May I give thanks to the Almighty God, the master of destinies, and to express my deep gratitude to my family for their unwavering support and especially to the Senegalese people for the trust placed in me.”
President Faye, 44, the fifth president of Senegal and youngest elected leader in Africa, promised to work tirelessly to preserve peace and national cohesion.
“Through my election, the Senegalese people are committed to the path of establishing a just Senegal, a prosperous Senegal in a progressing Africa,” he said.
President Faye praised the attachment of Senegalese to peace and republican values and promised to always keep in mind the heavy sacrifices they made in favour an independent nation and rule of law.
“This great people that we are, at the risk of lost lives, irreversible injuries, confiscated freedoms, broken careers, has demonstrated on many occasions and in critical moments its attachment to peace and republican values.”
He referred to “the painful memories of the martyrs of Senegalese democracy, the amputees, the injured and the former prisoners”, saying “I will always keep in mind the heavy sacrifices made so as to never disappoint you. Tribute must also be paid to our elders who fought for the advent of Senegalese democracy.”
President Faye said it was the Senegalese people who won the presidential election on 24 March.
APS said President Faye has, meanwhile, arrived at the Presidential Palace in Dakar for the handover ceremony with his predecessor Macky Sall.
It said a large crowd comprising mainly the youth has gathered along the Boulevard de la République to cheer the new president.
In his oath, he declared: “Before God and before the Senegalese nation, I swear to faithfully fulfill the office of President of the Republic of Senegal, to observe as well as to scrupulously observe the provisions of the Constitution and the laws, to devote all my forces to defending the institutions constitutional rights, territorial integrity and national independence, to spare no effort for the achievement of African unity.”
Heads of state, foreign ministers and presidents of institutions from Africa were present.
These included President Adama Barrow of The Gambia, Umaru Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau, and Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone.
APS said the Vice-President of Côte d’Ivoire, ThiémokoMeyliet Koné, the President of the National Transitional Council in Mali, Colonel Malick Diaw, the President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the President of the Commission of ECOWAS and the President of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso were also present.
Senegal’s Constitutional Council last Friday published the final official results of the 24 March presidential election validating the victory of opposition leader Faye, 44, in the first round with 54.28% of the votes, after he was released from prison only a few days earlier.
Former Prime Minister and the outgoing government’s candidate, Amadou Ba, 62, came a distant second with 35.79%. Aliou Mamadou Dia of the Unity and Rally Party (PUR), came third with 2.80%. Turnout was 61.30%.
APS reported that the swearing-in would be followed by a handover of power by outgoing President Macky Sall at the Palais de la République.
The election came as Senegal came from the brink following political developments after President Sall issued a decree postponing the election, originally scheduled for 25 February. The decree led to street protests in which at least three people died.
President Sall issued the decree postponing the election citing suspicions of corruption concerning some magistrates who examined the applications of 93 people to contest the election.
Parliament then voted to delay the poll until 15 December in a chaotic session during which security forces removed opposition lawmakers. The Constitutional Court’s declaration of Parliament’s vote unconstitutional calmed the political tension.
Independent human rights experts in a statement urged the authorities to ensure that political parties, journalists and human rights defenders can exercise their right to freedom of association, assembly and expression during the electoral period.
A UN statement said the Human Rights Council-appointed experts had previously raised concerns with the Government about the prosecution and detention of opposition leaders and their supporters.
The country has seen political turbulence leading to violence, deaths, arrests and detention of opposition figures, all of which benefited the opposition.
President Sall repeatedly said he would leave office at the end of his mandate on 2 April, saying he refused “to be tempted by a third term” after being in power for 12 years.