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Senegal: Music icon Youssou N’dour will run for the presidency
Wade’s plans to run, as well as frequent power cuts and the spiraling cost of living, sparked violent protests last year in what has historically been one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.
Once a symbol of the opposition, Wade became president in a landmark election hailed for being one of the first peaceful transfers of power on the continent.
He set off a wave of criticism though when he announced he planned to run for a third term, using a loophole in the electoral law to circumvent the two-term maximum set out in the constitution.
And massive street protests hit Senegal’s capital last year following a proposed constitutional change that would have paved the way for Wade’s son to succeed him. Wade later agreed to cancel it, but the unrest marked the biggest challenge to his 11-year rule.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press
