Senegal votes for lawmakers in test for new president

17/11/2024 16:59

        Senegal headed to the polls on Sunday to vote in legislative elections that the president hopes will give his party a clear majority and the means to implement an ambitious agenda for reforms.
        
        The heated campaign period has revived concerns about unrest as political rivals clashed, sometimes violently. The West African nation saw some of the worst political violence in recent history ahead of the presidential election in March.
        
        Polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. More than 7 million registered voters will have the chance to vote for candidates for the 165-seat assembly, choosing between 41 registered parties or other entities.
        
        Top priorities for Senegalese voters are jobs and the economy, as inflation has squeezed livelihoods and the nation's growing youth population struggles to find employment. Many are impatient for change.
        
        The new president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has promised to help, but his government is grappling with slower-than-projected growth and a worsening budget deficit.