Senegal's anti-Wade front stumbles as election looms

On ne veut plus de Wade comme président

Mr Brown, this may be a coincidence, but are you involved in any way with the campaign of Mr Wade or have you been working for him? Your name sounds familiar / would be interesting to know your background. You sound like a lawyer working for Mr Wade.

Myself I have no ties whatsoever with either opposition or the current president, just a European citizen living in Dakar since August 2010. I am personally appalled by the decision of a so-called leader who by now is either 85 or 90 years old and wants to run a 3rd term even though the country has decided 2 terms is the max. There was a reason behind taking this up in the constitution, right (the 2 term max)? Then why does Mr Wade feel it does not apply to him? Should laywers not apply the spirit of the law rather than the letter of it? Mr Wade appears power drunk and of all the people I have spoken to over the last weeks (a few dozen), only 1 supported Wade.

Again mr Brown, how can you defend running for a 3rd term if you'ev already had 2 and if you think all presidents after you can also have max 2? And if you are 84, 85 or even older?

Some say mr Wade just wants to get re-elected, and if he has been, he will try again to create a position such as vice-president or something similar, and then he will hand over power to his son Karim. That does not sound like democracy to me.

Over to you Mr Brown. I will assume silence is consent.

This article is a real imposture and nonsense about Senegalese politics. The swelling of the anti-Wade movement despite harsch police repression ad increasing number of killings exemplifies the existence and vigour of the opposition. This popular rebutal of the Wade regime has been initiated by the M23 since 23 June 2011, a coalition that gathers the significant opposition parties and coalitions, the main civil society forces and popular youth movements. The committes Wade supposedly claim are supporting him are structures of his political party and no religios brotherhood leader has declared support to Wade. What Philippe Hugon supposedly says reflects his outdated knowledge of senegalese politics. Instead many brotherhood leaders have publicly demanded Wade to quit power as the people ask so. Others have denied support to him as he was expanding propagandist information about alledged rallies from some religious leaders. Yesterday violent demonstrations evolved in contagion from one town and region to another. Nearly the whole of Senegal has exploded against Wade. So do not sell Wade's plan to steal the votes which cannot take place next week as no condition is met for that. The Week end's military vote recorded 80 percent abstention, showing poor interest in polls. We Know that France's silence is ambiguous and that Wade is selling his plan in Paris and other Western capital cities. But those countries are warned and will be fought to the bitter end if their dare support a plan against the will of the people. That will not happen and no external force can press the Senegalese people against his will to remain the master of its own destiny.

I hope this is a start of a balanced reporting of Senegal. France 24 should have not jumped for the opposition as if it were similar to the "Arab spring". You would have done your viewers a better service if you had one some investigative reporting at the start and put the election in a Senegal context. It would be expected in these worldwide hard economic times especially for those now entering the workforce that the euphoria surrounding President Wade's election could not be sustained similar to that of US and World hopes for President Obama in the US. The opposition was always fragmented and had not been able to put a coherent platform together other than that they wanted to replace the President. The failure of the main opposition party to run in the last election for parliament was in part responsible for lack of a viable opposition being develop. They also appear not have capitalized on their victories in the last local elections. President Wade has brought significant development and expanded democratic procedures such as freedom of the press and elections where the opposition won local races. Those with a longer view of history can compare his record with that of the first 40 years. Even at their peak the opposition did not attract the large crowds that the President did. Cries for the President to step down would seem as a tactic of last resort of persons who did not see enough of a groundswell of support to carry them to a win at the polls. I hope in the future there will be valid opposing views competing for the vote of the electorate allowing the Senegalese people to have real choices not one between an incumbent and an opposition which although with exceptions has not really campaigned but rather pinned their hopes on disruption of the democratic process.