Senegal Opposition’s Faye Set to Go From Prison to Presidency
- Ba, anointed successor of outgoing president, concedes defeat
- Faye has pledged to renegotiate oil deals, reform currency
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Senegalese opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to win the nation’s presidential election, a seismic shift in the political landscape of one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies.
The ruling coalition’s candidate, Amadou Ba, conceded defeat on Monday, handing an unexpected first-round victory to Faye — a political novice and former tax inspector who just 10 days ago was in prison on what supporters said were politically motivated charges. The outcome has yet to be confirmed by the Autonomous National Electoral Commission, which hasn’t released any official results yet.