Senegal: Social Watch Benin asks president Wade to retire peacefully

Abdoulaye Wade. (UN Photo)

The civil society organizations gathered in Social Watch Benin invited the incumbent President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, who is seeking a third term in office, “to take a peaceful retirement,” the network said in a statement published on Thursday.

According to the same source, Beninese civil society organizations are extremely worried about the latest developments of the political situation in Senegal, after the Constitutional Council confirmed its early decision to allow President Wade to seek a third term in office.

“There is no need to recall that the Republic of Senegal is a paragon of democracy and peaceful change of regime in Africa. Besides, it is through this democratic model that the historic opponent Abdoulaye Wade came to power on 19 March 2000 for a seven-year term, and was re-elected on 25 February 2007 for another five-year term,” the statement indicates.

It added that “considering the serious threats to peace, Social Watch Benin would like to recall President Abdoulaye Wade, who recently opposed the confiscation of power in Ivory Coast and Libya, that a presidential election is not merely intended to give the power to a democratically elected government, thus endowed with national and international legitimacy, but also to consolidate democratic process, strengthen peace and social cohesion.”

In the same document, Social Watch Benin advises President Wade to withdraw from this presidential race and follow the examples of other distinguished sons of Africa such a as Nelson Mandela, Mathieu Kerekou and Abdou Diouf, who left to future generations, the image of law-abiding statesmen showing respect for their respective countries’ Constitutions.”

Sources
Agence de Presse Africaine: http://bit.ly/AipFVM