Dr Fomunyoh hails Senegalese president for decision not to seek re-election.

The Senior Associate and Regional Director for Africa at US-based National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, NDI, made the remarks yesterday. 

His outing, on his recognised tweeter handle, follows the declaration of President Macky Sall, Monday July 3, that he will not be seeking re-election in the February 2024 presidential election.  

“Thank You President Macky Sall. I always knew you would do right for yourself, your legacy, your beautiful country, Senegal and our continent, Africa,” the expert on democratisation tweeted. 

Dr Fomunyoh, who has organised and supervised international election observation missions in many countries, said Macky Sall’s decision is “dignified” and makes the entire continent “proud”. 

“Your dignified decision makes us all proud. A big Thank You, Mr President. Thank you Mr President. Senegal retains its exemplarity and you even with,” added the tweet. 

Dr Fomunyoh, it should be said, has had over two-and-half-decade impact in advancing the democratic process in at least 30 African countries. 

In an interview he granted Impact Voices last year, Dr Fomunyoh had said his work with NDI has shown a mark improvement on where the continent is at the moment in advancement of democracy.

“When I started at NDI, there were only four African countries that were considered democratic in the sense of aligning for political parties. Those four countries were Senegal, Botswana, Mauritius and The Gambia,” he had revealed. 

Dr Fomunyoh, who has designed and supervised country-specific democracy support programmes with civic organisations, political parties and legislative bodies, said the situation of democracy in Africa has greatly improved though with much still needed. 

“…when you look at Africa today, you can see that well over 12 countries are considered fully democratic and may be 18 or 19 others are considered partially democratic,” he had said.

“I am extremely proud of the fact that in these 30 countries that have made democratic progress, in the past two and a half decades, the institute that I represent, NDI, has had a lot of engagements in those countries and has contributed positively to the changes that we see in these countries,” he had added. 

Strides to advance democracy in Senegal

Dr Fomunyoh, it should be recalled, through the NDI, played a key role from in early 2000s in engaging Senegalese women in active politics where they, like in many other African countries, had very low representation especially in Parliament.

“...women now constitute about 48% of seats in the National Assembly of Senegal and when you look back, you think about the work that NDI did in Senegal in 2000,” Dr Fomunyoh had noted.

He made rounds and met with different political parties, underscoring the need for them to be committed in nominating women to run for positions in their political parties by pledging to train the women to be excellent candidates and ensure they win their campaigns. 

Dr Fomunyoh said through his efforts under NDI, Senegalese political parties signed a joint agreement, committing to partner with NDI to nominate at least 30% of women to run for local elections in the country.

“They nominated over 8,000 women. NDI trained all 8,000 women to run for elections across party lines and thousands of them got elected into local councils in Senegal in the year 2000. Today, it is those women who were elected at the local level who are now running for seats in parliament,” Dr Fomunyoh had explained.

“When you go to Senegal today, they are very proud of the fact that close to 48% of their representation in parliament is made up of women and they all say thanks to NDI’s work,” he had said. 

Macky Sall & road to rejecting re-election 

Until Monday, Macky Sall had remained coy about his ambitions, stoking tensions over whether he would use a constitutional revision to argue he could extend the country's traditional two-term maximum tenure in office.

His decision not to seek another mandate has cleared the way for open elections in the West African nation, long considered a bastion of democracy in a troubled region on the continent, a region notorious for coups and civil wars.

"My dear fellow citizens, my decision after long consideration is not to be candidate in the election of February 25, 2024. Senegal is more than me, and is full of capable leaders for the country's development," Macky Sall declared in a televised address to the nation. 

He said his focus has been to prioritise the country’s progress within the social-economic difficulties and uncertainties. Clashes between supporters of opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, and security forces, had turned deadly months back. 

Sonko, a fiery orator popular with Senegal's disaffected youth, painted Macky Sall as a corrupt and a “soon-to-be-dictator. The turbulence tarnished Senegal's image as a beacon of stability in West Africa.

Macky Sall, 61, was first elected in 2012 for a seven-year term and again in 2019 for a five-year term, following a constitutional revision of the presidential tenure. The constitution stipulates that a president cannot serve more than two terms.