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Senegal: President Wade and Macky Sall face off in 2nd round vote
In an interview at his Dakar home on Saturday, Sall told reporters that he hoped Wade would respect the ballot’s outcome.
“With him, one never knows. In any case, Wade was 25 years in the opposition and he became president afterward,” Sall said. “If he is beaten, he must accept it.”
The United States already has called Wade’s candidacy “regrettable” and a threat to the country’s democracy.
Wade was once considered among the rare African leaders committed to democracy in a neighborhood better known for rule by strongmen. His image began to suffer after he began giving an increasing share of power to his son Karim, who was derisively called “the Minister of the Sky and the Earth” after he was handed control of multiple ministries including infrastructure and energy.
The president also tried to rush a law through parliament that would have reduced the percentage a candidate needed to win on the first round from 50 to around 25 percent. He was forced to scrap the proposal after riots immobilized the capital.
Wade has insisted on running for a third term, even though he revised the constitution after he came to office to impose a two-term maximum. But he insists that when he goes, so too will his unpopular son.
“He will go with me, but he could after my departure, create his own party and win power,” Wade told Le Soleil.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
