While Macky Sall has not yet clearly expressed himself on a possible third candidacy in 2024, voices are being raised in Senegalese civil society to discourage his silence and, therefore, invite him to respect his word. On Thursday 27 October in Dakar, a dozen civil society organisations “against a third mandate” launched the initiative “Jàmm a Gën 3ᵉ mandat” which means “peace is better than a third mandate” in english. In a letter, they ask the current tenant of the palace to postpone a third candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. Here is the content of their statement:

To His Excellency Mr Macky Sall
President of the Republic of Senegal

OPENED LETTER

For the respect of the Constitution and the word given

We, Senegalese citizens, citizens’ movements, civil society organisations and political organisations, solemnly invite you not to present your candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, out of respect for the word you have given and out of respect for the clear and unequivocal interpretation you have always given to our Constitution.

You have demonstrated your willingness to strengthen our democratic gains by confirming the two-term presidential limit, by locking in our Basic Charter in 2016. We welcome this political courage which contributes to the stability of the country and its international standing.

Your Excellency, you have learned the lessons of your personal commitment to the fight against the “third mandate” of which you were the main beneficiary in 2012. We recall your very strong statements clarifying and removing any ambiguity about the meaning of “No person shall serve more than two consecutive terms”, the constitutional lock on limiting presidential terms to two.

You yourself, Mr President, had said and repeated on many occasions, before your re-election in 2019, that you did not have the possibility of serving more than two consecutive terms, and you even clearly indicated this in your book, “Le Sénégal au cœur – 2019”, specifying on page 165: “And here I am again, before you, with a view to soliciting your confidence in me for a second and final term.

We, the citizens of Senegal, have no doubt that this provision is very clearly understood at your level because, as witnesses of the reform, we all know that both in spirit and in the letter of the law, the limitation of mandates to two is unequivocally and definitively anchored in the fundamental law which organises the mode of representation and the democratic mechanisms of our Republic.

Across Africa, the consequences of ‘forcing’ third terms have been particularly tragic and heavy for the people. That is why, Mr President, we, the citizens of Senegal, want to avoid a scenario of chaos to our country.

In order to avoid such a disaster, the consequences of which could be even more dramatic than those of 2012, we invite you, Mr President, to make an open declaration to remove all ambiguity and definitively install Senegal in conditions of serenity, peace and lasting stability.

Mr President, please respect the Constitution, respect your word ndax “Jàmm Gën third term”.

The following have signed this open letter:

AfrikaJom Center,

Tired of it,

AfricTivists,

LEGS Africa,

Senegalese League for the Defence of Human Rights,

RADDHO,

Senegalese Social Forum,

FRAPP France Get out,

UDEN,

Mister Seydi Ababacar Sy Ndiaye,