US backs Senegal’s constitutional court ruling on election delay: summary

What we know

• The United States has expressed its approval of Senegal's Constitutional Council decision to overturn the postponement of the presidential election to December, calling for a new "free and fair election" to be conducted promptly.
• The bill that initially delayed the February 25 poll was reversed by the council on Thursday, bringing clarity to the electoral timeline.
• Senegal's President, Macky Sall, has affirmed his commitment to abide by the court decision, vowing to initiate consultations to organize the election at the earliest convenience.
• Sall has announced his acceptance of the constitutional council's decision and pledged to commence the necessary consultations to organize the presidential election as soon as possible.
• While the specific date for the vote is yet to be determined, opposition leaders advocate for holding the election before April 2, the expiration of Sall's mandate.

What they said

The State Department said in a statement, "We note President Sall's announcement that he will fully implement the Constitutional Council's decision and take the necessary steps to organize the election as quickly as possible. We urge all stakeholders to come together in the spirit of Senegal's strong democratic tradition to support a free and fair election conducted in a peaceful and timely manner," Reuters quotes.  According to a statement from the presidency on Friday, President Macky Sall acknowledged and accepted the decision of the constitutional council regarding the timing of the upcoming election. The council has requested that the election be conducted as soon as possible, and President Sall intends to fully comply with the council's decision, as stated in the official communication.