PRESIDENT ABDOULIE WADE BETRAYED SENEGAL JUST BECAUSE OF GREED
By Bamba Mass (Human Rights Activist UK)
As Ndey Sukai looked back behind the running crowd in the northern Podor city her eyes glanced and glued and all of a sudden, her legs failed her and she fell down. Near by was her son killed by a Police bullet. “What is my crime? she cried “oh God why did you let me voted for Abdoulie Wade? Oh God ! “Abdou Joof ruled us for 20years and never shed our blood yet we believed in Abdoulie Wade's lies and supported him . Now he wanted to show us his true colours. Oh dear oh dear . This is my only son”. Chei Yalla, Wai Nee neh” (oh God, Oh my mother). Then she vowed , “Barki (I swear by) Serigne Sidy Mokhtar Mbacké, I will not sit until I see Abdoulie Wade down”. Sobbed Ndey Sukai as she continued wailing, coddling her blood soaked son.
Senegal, typically a beacon of democracy among troubled neighbours, was urged by Amnesty International to halt a clampdown on protesters after two people were shot dead by security forces in the northern city of Podor.
The riot police continued firing tear gas, while spraying protesters with water cannons to break up thousands of Senegalese who have also rallied in Dakar demanding that Metre President Abdoulie Wade drop plans to seek a third term which according to them violates the Senegalese Constitution. The Senegalese Constitution allows only a two seven year term for any sitting president since its coming into force in 2000. Some other areas, life bullets were used
Abdoulie Wade who is finishing his second term in office argued that such rule does not apply to him and when the matter was tabled before the Senegalese constitutional court appointed by Wade, the court ruled that the constitution’s two-term limit does not apply to him, since it only came into force after his first election win in 2000. The rule change was written into the constitution by Mr Wade himself.
Abdou Diouf, his predecessor, was in power for almost 20 years and it appears Wade who has been opposition for almost two decades want to die in office. Because they said by the time he finishes his third term, he will be 93 year old maybe said one he might not survive next year and when his party wins the election which is very most likely due to a fragmented opposition and President Wade dies as president, His Party might install his son Karim to finish his father's term. They accused the 85-year-old President of holding brief for his son Karim Wade who presently holds powerful ministerial posts in the Father's government and who many accused Wade of trying to groom to succeed him though this has been denied by the Wade camp.
Private radio station RFM said a man was run over by the police's armoured-personnel carrier on Tuesday.
A reporter for the Associated Press news agency saw the young man fall to the ground after the carrier forced its way through the protesting crowd.
Police chief Harona Sy confirmed the death of the youth, but denied police responsibility. Sy said he had checked all of their vehicles and found no traces of blood, according to the state news agency.
"If there was the death of a man, then maybe we should talk about an accident, and we have opened an investigation,'' Sy said.
The AFP news agency reported that angry youth had taunted security forces, throwing stones at police who stood some 300 metres away from the square where the demonstration was being held. They burnt tyres and engaged in running battles with police in side streets after the square emptied out.
The demonstration, organised under the umbrella activist organisation M23 comes just a day after two civilians were killed by paramilitary police in a similar demonstration in the northern town of Podor.
Thousands of people gathered, held up signs and chanted slogans in protest against the decision taken by the country's top legal body to allow President Wade's candidacy in next month's election.
Wade is seeking a third term, even though the constitution was changed soon after he took office in order to impose a two-term limit.
This was the same Abdoulie Wade who many believed because of his vast knowledge in the Senegalese Legal system would have been the best to put in place a codified constitution that would put a cap on ever lasting leadership of an individual after his many years of fighting for change but today he is killing Senegalese just to hold on to power.
But the opposition is very much determined to stop him though they may not be able to now that he has embarked on his campaign trail. "People only started arriving late but within the next few hours, the number of protesters had increased dramatically. I spoke to an older woman and asked her why she was there. She said that Wade needed to leave. She said she had a large family, and when I asked her if she was there for them she said: 'I am here for me, I am here for everyone!
The Wade Camp is using its power to suspend any unauthorised rally. The interior ministry had earlier said that that the opposition need to seek authorisation before holding a rally as the Law demands.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mor Ngom of the M23 movement said that authorities had "accepted" their application to hold a mass rally. The statement came after that of some of Wade insiders who fear any such rally would spark further violence and lawlessness in the country.
Serigne Mbacke Ndiaye, Senegal's presidential spokesman, said: "The real combat is the one we must lead to hold a transparent election... being a candidate means nothing."
"We deplore the will (of the opposition) to lead the country into chaos... We don't want Senegal to go up in flames." he went on. “ If they feel they have anything for the Senegalese people, let them go to the pools not burn houses”, he charged.
The constitutional Council dismissed the opposition bid to against Wade's candidacy, leaving no legal recourse for opponents who accuse him of carrying out a constitutional coup. Though the opposition has vowed to continue civil protests to force Wade to step aside prior to the February 26 presidential vote but how they would do that is everyone's guess including Morr Nyang who said “Yalla Terreh” ( God Forbid) so loudly when asked if the military should step in to force Wade out?” Asked why he doest not want military rule in Senegal despite he want President to go? He pointed his finger towards the south and
said “Haana musuloo dem Gambie”? ( have you never been to Gambia). “Nguuri Soldar, wah lahi Ablie Wade moo ma gen nal nguri Soldar”. (Military government? I swear Ablie Wade is better for me than military government) he said.
Senegalese police have arrested a top member of Senegal's M23 opposition movement, prominent local rights activist Alioune Tine.
Amath Dansoko, also a leading figure in the June 23 Movement, confirmed Tine's arrest.
'We have just learned that Alioune Tine is at the Criminal Investigations Division (CID),' he said, calling for his 'immediate liberation.'
Another leading politician meanwhile blamed President Abdoulaye Wade for the violence and called for concerted action to force him to withdraw his controversial bid for a third presidential term.
"Today's bloodshed marks a dramatic escalation in the violence that has plagued Senegal in the run-up to its elections," Salvatore Sagues, the UK-based rights body's West Africa researcher, said.
The US urged 85-year-old Wade to allow power to pass "to the next generation".
"While we respect the process, the political and legal process in Senegal, the fact that he's now been cleared to run, our message to him remains the same: that the statesmanly-like thing to do would be to cede to the next generation, and we think that would be better," Victoria Nuland, a state department spokeswoman, said.
"Our view is that Senegalese democracy is strong enough to move to the next generation."
But Wade aides have warned against out side interference into Senegal's internal affairs . El Hadj Amadou Sallah, minister of state and a senior Wade campaign official, said it was "too late" to prevent Wade running since his candidacy had already been validated.
The opposition argues that the constitution allows a president to serve only two consecutive terms, but Wade says the law, which was amended in 2008, does not apply retroactively and cannot take into account his previous two terms.
Wade has dismissed opposition protests as "temper tantrums".
In a recent interview with a local news website, Wade said he needed three more years to complete his projects, fuelling speculation that he wanted to line up a successor.
Editors analysis:
Why three more years and not Seven as he is seeking?
What happens with the other four years that would be left when he wins?
Would there be another elections after the three years he is requesting from the Senegalese people?
Only Wade can answer these important questions.
One thing is clear in an event where Wade is to die in power, what is guarantee the party is willing to give to the Senegalese people that Karim would not succeed his father to finish the mandate and if not Karim who would step in? Would there be an election?
Why would president Wade give peace a chance and allow his party to choose a fresh candidate and with his support the Senegalese people would choose if they want a continuation of the Wade policies then such successor can complete his unfinished projects? Why would it has to be only Wade or no one? What is PDS hiding from the Senegalese people? Why would Wade himself few months ago agree that he should not seek a third term only for him to make a u turn?
Who so ever is behind this is causing the Senegalese blood to speal and who knows how many more have to die?
God help Africa .
