Senegal’s president says election will be as soon as possible, after court overturns delay

By SAM MEDNICK and BABACAR DIONE
Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s government says it will hold a presidential election as soon as possible given that the country’s top election authority has overturned a decree by President Macky Sall to postpone the vote.  Sall in early February sought to postpone the Feb. 25 election citing unresolved disputes over who could run, and the National Assembly voted to reschedule it for Dec. 15. However, the country’s Constitutional Council ruled Thursday that those moves were unconstitutional and ordered the government to hold the election as soon as possible, presumably allowing enough time for campaigning. The panel acknowledged that Feb. 25 wouldn’t now be feasible, but said the government should act quickly.