Faye Sworn In As Senegal’s 5th President, Ousmane Sonko Appointed Prime Minister
44-year-old opposition politician Bassirou Diomaye Faye was sworn in Tuesday in Diamniadio as Senegal’s fifth president, having defeated main rival and ruling party coalition candidate Amadou Ba.
Faye, who garnered 54% of the vote in the delayed election, is the youngest man elected president in Senegal.
The presidents of neighbouring Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria, as well as high-level officials from other African nations, attended.
Faye then appointed his mentor Ousmane Sonko (49), a fierce opponent of former president Macky Sall, as Senegal’s new prime minister.
It was Sonko who rallied Senegalese youth to enable the election of his top lieutenant, Faye.
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Sonko was barred from standing in the March 24 presidential election because of a conviction for defamation.
He denied any wrongdoing, but chose the little-known Faye as his replacement, urging his supporters to back him instead.
Sonko and Faye, both former tax inspectors, have positioned themselves as opponents of corruption and elitism and called for Senegal to reject what they see as lingering ties to French colonialism.
In their campaign manifesto, the duo promised to renegotiate mining, oil and gas contracts and create a new national currency.
According to Reuters, Sonko is expected to present Faye with a list of proposed ministers for his approval in the coming days.
He and Faye were arrested and jailed on a defamation and contempt of court charge, which they denied.
They both left jail less than a month ago following a new amnesty law introduced to ease tensions in a country that is usually one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.
They joined the campaign trail under the banner “Diomaye is Sonko”, drawing popular support that carried Faye to a landslide victory with over 54% of the vote in the first round.
Ousmane Sonko, a firebrand politician and devout Muslim, advocates for stricter legislation against homosexuality in Senegal. Notably, over 90% of the population in Senegal adheres to the Muslim faith. Homosexual acts are already subject to imprisonment in Senegal.
More: Pindula News
