Senegal elects 44 year old Diomaye Faye as President

DAKAR, SENEGAL | Xinhua | Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the candidate of the opposition coalition “Diomaye President,” has won Senegal’s presidential election, according to results released Wednesday by the country’s National Vote Counting Commission.

Faye secured a total of 2,434,751 votes, constituting 54.28 percent of the total votes cast, said Amady Diouf, the commission’s president, during a press conference held in Dakar, the country’s capital. The voter turnout rate was 61.30 percent.

His closest rival, Amadou Ba, representing the ruling coalition, trailed behind with 35.79 percent of the votes.

Aged 44, Faye was born in Ndiaganiao, located 115 km east of Dakar. He holds a master’s degree in law from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. In 2004, he passed the entrance exam to the National School of Administration and became a tax inspector after graduation.

He served as the secretary general of the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF) party, which was dissolved by presidential decree in July 2023.

Faye was imprisoned in April 2023 and was released on March 14 following the enactment of an amnesty law by outgoing President Macky Sall.