Senegal votes as President Faye looks for a majority in Parliament to force reforms Election News

More than seven million people are eligible to vote in the snap election, with jobs and rising prices on their minds.

Voting has opened in Senegal’s parliamentary elections as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye aims for a meaningful majority to face the promises of key reforms that ousted him eight months ago.

More than seven million of the country’s 17 million people are eligible to vote on Sunday to elect members of the 165-seat National Assembly for a five-year term. Polls open at 8am (08:00 GMT) and close at 6pm (18:00 GMT).

Faye swept to victory in March promising economic reform, social justice and the fight against corruption – raising hopes among a large youth population facing inflation and widespread unemployment. He dissolved the National Parliament in September.

Faye appointed his hotshot advisor Ousmane Sonko as prime minister after Sonko was barred from running for president due to defamation charges.

The two pledged a left-wing pan-African agenda – vowing to sever political and economic ties, review hydrocarbon and fishing contracts and re-establish the Senegalese monarchy, which they said had been “sold abroad”.

An opposition-led parliament hampered the government’s first months in power, leading Faye to dissolve parliament in September and call snap elections as soon as the constitution allows him to do so.

Analysts say Senegalese voters have historically confirmed their choice for president during parliamentary elections, with the ruling Pastef party the favorite to win.

Earlier this year, the West African country saw its worst violence in decades in the run-up to a presidential vote. The then President Macky Sall delayed the vote that was scheduled to take place in February, throwing the country into chaos. The move led to deadly protests, and a backlash from the country’s highest court.

Elections were finally held on March 24, handing a stunning victory to Faye – an unknown who was nominated by the more popular Sonko. But seven months after the vote, the promises failed, as Sonko blamed the opposition-led parliament for failing to pass the necessary legislation to implement the promised reforms.

Senegal is entering a debt crisis after the new government said it found the budget deficit to be much wider than reported by the previous government. The IMF’s $1.9bn program is on hold pending a government audit.

A major threat to the aspirations of Pastef’s party is the unexpected alliance of two opposition parties, including the Alliance for the Republic (APR), led by Sall. The race also includes two small opposition coalitions – one led by the mayor of Dakar, Barthelemy Dias.

Mariam Wane Ly, a former member of parliament and a supporter of women in politics in Senegal, said the election campaign gave the leaders an opportunity to explain their intentions and expects Pastef to win the majority he wants.

“I think it will cover all the unhappiness,” he said.