Senegal Opposition Leader Faces Disqualification From Polls
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Loading... - Manut Nhial
- 10 May 2023
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Ousmane Sonko, the main opposition leader in Senegal
Ousmane Sonko, the main opposition figure in Senegal, has been handed a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel and could be disqualified from running in next year's presidential election. Sonko, a former tax inspector, had accused Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang of embezzlement during a televised statement last year.
His popularity has grown since he secured 16% of votes in the 2019 presidential elections and many see him as the strongest rival to current President Macky Sall. However, Sall has argued that a constitutional amendment in 2016 allows him to run for another term, despite the constitution limiting the presidency to two consecutive terms.
Last month, a coalition of over 100 political and civil society groups launched a campaign against Sall's potential re-election bid, describing it as illegal. Sonko also faces a separate case in which he is accused of raping an employee at a beauty salon. He denies the charges, which he says are politically motivated.
