Unlawful Ruling Declares Delay in Senegal Election

Senegal's Constitutional Court has declared that the decision to postpone this month's elections goes against the country's constitution. The court has annulled President Macky Sall's decree and a controversial bill passed by parliament which rescheduled the vote for December. The postponement has led to widespread protests in Senegal, a country that was once seen as a democratic stronghold in the region. Opposition figures argue that the delay amounts to an "institutional coup." President Sall had cited concerns about the eligibility of opposition candidates as the reason behind the postponement. Those opposition candidates and lawmakers who legally challenged the parliamentary bill that endorsed the decree will likely view the court's decision as a validation of their stance. Leading opponent Khalifa Sall, a former mayor of Dakar, referred to the delay as a "constitutional coup," while another candidate, Thierno Alassane Sall, described it as "high treason." The court's ruling means that the election will proceed, but it remains unclear if it will still take place on the initially scheduled date of February 25, given the limited timeframe.