Senegalese president's party secures large parliamentary majority

Senegal's Presidential Bassirou Diomaye Faye casts his ballot during the early legislative election, at a polling station in Ndiaganiao, Mbour, Senegal November 17, 2024. Abdou Karim Ndoye/Senegal's Presidency/File Photo

DAKAR - Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's Pastef party has won 130 out of 165 seats in legislative elections, securing a clear majority in parliament and a mandate to pursue promised reforms, provisional results showed on Thursday.

Faye, who came to power in April after a landslide election victory, dissolved the house two years into its five-year term on Sept. 12. He accused the opposition of refusing to pass bills from the executive.

The new majority should enable Faye to pursue his ambitious reform agenda that helped sweep him to power backed by voters hoping for more jobs, lower prices and improved public services across the West African country.

But analysts have warned his first challenge amid a fiscal crisis will be coming up with a budget that caters to both his voters' needs and to the International Monetary Fund, with which his government is currently in talks.

After the results were read out by the national vote-counting commission, Pastef representative Amadou Ba told reporters the sizable majority represented a vote of confidence that should encourage Senegal's international backers.

"It is very important not only in terms of the legitimacy of the new authorities but also regarding our technical and financial partners that they know that there is a people standing behind this new government," Ba said in footage aired on state television.

"I believe this will only accelerate the process of structural reforms in our economy and our society."

In September, a government audit revealed that Senegal's debt and budget deficit were much wider than the previous administration had reported. A $1.9 billion IMF programme agreed in June 2023 has been on hold since.

Negotiations with the IMF to restart disbursements could last until mid-2025.

(Additional reporting by Diadie Ba and Cooper InveenWriting by Anait Miridzhanian and Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Alexander Smith and Susan Fenton)