Plateau, the downtown Dakar neighbourhood that is home to the country’s National Assembly, was tense but quiet on Monday morning. Inside parliament, the assembly was anything but. Lawmakers were debating on President Macky Sall’s announcement to postpone general elections – originally scheduled for February 25 – for an additional six months. The decision to delay the vote has been controversial and has ignited protests in the capital and put the police on high alert. International watchdog Human Rights Watch warned actions like this are part of a crackdown on opposition, media and civil society. Senegal is often touted as a beacon of peace and stability in the region. But now, that legacy is in the hands of lawmakers who have brought Senegal to an inflexion point, says Kane.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
