Bassirou Diomaye Faye beat the candidate of the ruling coalition and former prime minister, Amadou Ba, by a clear margin (58% vs 33%). In his first address, Faye committed to fighting against corruption in the country ‘in order to give substance to the immense hope and aspirations of the people.’ Faye made a special mention of his political ally Ousmane Sonko, whose backing he owes much of his victory to, and hailed outgoing President Macky Sall for ensuring the smooth organization of the election. Faye, 44, became Ba’s main competitor after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was barred from the race due to a defamation conviction. Faye and Sonko, whose political party, called the Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity, was dissolved by the government last year, were released from prison under an amnesty law 10 days ahead of the election.

Source : Anadolu Agency