Government & politics — Senegal

• named for the Senegal River that forms the northern border of the country
• many theories exist for the origin of the river name
• perhaps the most widely cited derives the name from "Azenegue," the Portuguese appellation for the Berber Zenaga people who lived north of the river

• history: previous 1959 (pre-independence), 1963; latest adopted by referendum 7 January 2001,
• promulgated 22 January 2001 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; passage requires Assembly approval and approval in a referendum; the president can bypass a referendum and submit an amendment directly to the Assembly, which requires at least three-fifths majority vote; the republican form of government is not amendable; amended several times, last in 2019

• chief of state: President
• Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO (since 2 April 2024) cabinet: Council of Mini
• sters appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single,
• renewable 5-year term most recent election date: 24
• March 2024 election results: 2024: Bassirou Diomaye FAYE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Bassirou Diomaye FAYE (PASTEF) 54%, Amadou BA (APR) 36%, other 10% 2019: Macky SALL reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Macky SALL (APR) 58.3%, Idrissa SECK (Rewmi) 20.5%, Ousmane SONKO (PASTEF) 15.7%, other 5.5%
• expected date of next election: March 2029

Description

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale (165 seats; 112 members including 15 representing Senegalese diaspora directly elected by plurality vote in single- and multi-seat constituencies and 53 members directly elected by proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency; member term is 5-years)

Elections

last held on 31 July 2022 (next scheduled to be held in July 2027)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party/coalition - BBY 46.6%, YAW 32.9%, WS 14.5%, other 6%
• seats by party/coalition - BBY 82, YAW 42, WS 24, other 17;

Composition

men 92, women 73, percent of women 44%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (consists of the court president and 12 judges and organized into civil and commercial, criminal, administrative, and social chambers); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of 7 members, including the court president, vice president,
• and 5 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon recommendation of the Superior Council of the Magistrates, a body chaired by the president and minister of justice; judge tenure varies, with mandatory retirement either at 65 or 68 years; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the president and 2 by the National Assembly speaker; judges serve 6-year terms,
• with renewal of 2 members every 2 years subordinate courts: High Court of Justice (for crimes of high treason by the president); Courts of Appeal; Court of Auditors; assize courts; regional and district courts; Labor Court

• Alliance for Citizenship and Work or ACT [Abdoul MBAYE]
• Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar or APR [Macky SALL]
• Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]
• AND (National Alliance for Democracy) [Aissatou MBODJ]
• And-Jef/African Party for Democracy and Socialism or AJ/PADS [Landing SAVANE]
• ARC (Alternative for the next generation of citizens) [Anta Babacar NGOM]
• Awalé [Abdourahmane DIOUF]
• Benno Bokk Yakaar or BBY (United in Hope) [vacant] (coalition includes AFP, APR, BGC, LD-MPT, PIT, PS, and UNP)
• Bokk Gis Gis coalition [Pape DIOP]
• Citizen Movement for National Reform or MCRN-Bes Du Nakk [Mansour Sy DJAMIL]
• Coalition Mimi 2024 [Aminata TOURE]
• Dare the Future movement [Aissata Tall SALL]
• Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Mamadou NDOYE]
• Democratic Renaissance Congress [NA]
• Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel or FSD/BJ [Cheikh Abdoulaye Bamba DIEYE]
• Gainde Centrist Bloc or BCG [Jean-Paul DIAS MENDES ]
• General Alliance for the Interests of the Republic or AGIR [Thierno BOCOUM]
• Grand Party or GP [Malick GAKOU]
• Gueum sa Bopp (Believe in yourself) [Bougane Dany GUEYE]
• Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Maguette THIAM]
• Jotna Coalition [Dr Abdoulaye NIANE]
• Liberate the People (Yewwi Askan Wi) or YAW [Ousmane SONKO, Déthié FALL, Cheikh Tidiane YOUM]
• Madicke 2019 coalition [Madicke NIANG]
• National Union for the People or UNP [Abdoul MBAYE]
• Only Senegal Movement [Pierre Goudiaby ATEPA]
• Party for Truth and Development or PVD [Cheikh Ahmadou Kara MBAKE]
• Party of Unity and Rally or PUR [Cheikh Mouhamadou Moustapha SY]
• Patriotic Convergence Kaddu Askan Wi or CP-Kaddu Askan Wi [Abdoulaye BALDE]
• PRP (Republican party for Progress) [Déthié FALL]
• Rewmi Party [Idrissa SECK]
• Save Senegal (Wallu Senegal Grand Coalition) or WS [Karim WADE] (coalition includes PDS, Jotna Coalition, Democratic Renaissance Congress)
• Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Karim WADE]
• Socialist Party or PS [vacant]
• Tekki Movement [Mamadou Lamine DIALLO]
• Réewum Ngor (Republic of Values) [Thierno Alassane SALL]
• Servants (Les Serviteurs) [Pape Djibril FALL]

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one pa
• rent must be a citizen of Senegal dual citizenship recognized: no, but Senegalese citizens do not automatically lose their citizenship if they acquire citizens
• hip in another state residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 10 March 2022); note - also accredited to Guinea-Bissau embassy: Route des Almadies, Dakar mailing address: 2130 Dakar Place, Washington D.C. 20521-2130

telephone

[221] 33-879-4000

Email address and website

• DakarACS@state.gov
• https://sn.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Mansour Elimane KANE (since 6 January 2020)

chancery

2215 M ST NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

telephone

[1] (202) 234-0540

FAX

[1] (202) 332-6315; [1] (202) 629-2961

Email address and website

• contact@ambasenegal-us.org
• http://www.ambasenegal-us.org/index.php

consulate(s) general

Houston, New York