Senegal’s lawmakers pass motion to postpone presidential election to Dec. 15

Lawmakers in Senegal have voted to hold a postponed presidential election on December 15. Riot police fired tear gas to disperse protesters outside parliament as lawmakers debated the bill, which originally suggested delaying the Feb. 25 vote for Aug. 25 and retaining President Mackey Sall in office until his successor is elected…

Senegal’s parliament has passed the motion to hold a postponed presidential election on December 15 in the face of public outrage, prompting some opposition legislators to stop proceedings until security personnel arrived.

The move comes after President Macky Sall’s unusual announcement of a postponement on Saturday, which plunged the West African country into unknown constitutional chaos and threatens to further tarnish its reputation having enjoyed democratic stability in a region rife with coup attempts.

Riot police fired tear gas to disperse protesters outside parliament as lawmakers debated the bill, which originally suggested delaying the Feb. 25 vote for Aug. 25 and retaining Sall in office until his successor is elected.

In the evening, shortly before the final vote, the bill was amended to suggest an even later election date of December 15, yet it was passed by 105 MPs in the 165-seat Assembly.

The postponement was met with heavy opposition with at least three of the 20 presidential candidates submitting legal challenges to the delay.

Two Other candidates have vowed to take a similar step.

In the meantime, The African Union and United States, regional bodies and Western governments have called for a new election date to be set as soon as possible to prevent breakdown of law and order.