Senegal: Will the Momentum Last?

June 23, 2011, will be remembered as a landmark in the political history of Senegal. Senegalese citizens from all walks of life (opposition, civil society, regular citizens, youth movements) stood bravely as one people to oppose the adoption by the national legislature of President Abdoulaye Wade’s bill that would have allowed a presidential hopeful to have a running mate  for the first time in the country’s 50 years of independence.  The other controversial aspect of the bill was that a presidential ticket could win the elections in the first round with a minimum threshold of 25 percent of the vote. Thousands rallied outside the national assembly to protest against the passing of the bill. This public protest was so unprecedented that some people went as far as to compare it to the Arab Spring.

While choosing a running mate  is not a bad idea in itself, as it is the practice in the United States, its timing was, to many observers, too suspicious and the context too blurred for it to be celebrated as an attempt to emulate and consolidate good democratic practices. Some even viewed Wade’s scheme as a foiled political coup: a scenario that could not be accepted in present day Senegal. Wade expected his majority parliament to vote this bill, which was introduced just two days before it was made known to the public.

Even though a few of his party’s representatives took a bold stance and spoke out against it, the bill had strong chances to pass had the Senegalese people not stood up to oppose the vote. The June 23 protest gave birth to “M23,” a movement launched by the initiators of the protest to capitalize on the gains recorded on that important day. Since its creation, the M23 has been increasing the pressure on President Wade not to run for a third term, which they consider to be unconstitutional.  Having already served two terms, Wade is, in their view, disqualified for the February 2012 presidential race, even though some constitutionalists argue the contrary. In addition to the pressure on Wade, the movement has been traveling around the country and the world to garner support from the national and international community. Now, every 23rd of the month, the group organizes a rally in remembrance of June 23 and as a strategy to keep the momentum.

Concomitantly, Senegalese youth have been very vocal in their opposition to Wade’s bid for a third term. This is a major social shift as regards youth militant involvement in the country’s political affairs. This is not to downplay the students’ movements that have always fought for their social welfare or rap musicians who in their lyrics have always been very critical of the elite, particularly power holders. It is, therefore, not surprising that the group that has spearheaded the youth protest is made up mostly of rap musicians.

Known as the Y’en A Marre ("Enough is enough") Movement, the group took part in the 23 June rally after having successfully organized a mass mobilization on March19 to denounce the hijacking of the people’s will by the incumbent ruling class. The March 19 date was chosen in celebration of the major political shift that occurred in the year 2000 with the first regime change in Senegal after 41 years of Socialist Party rule.  Y’en A Marre is currently at the center of a major campaign to raise awareness among Senegalese citizens, particularly youth who are expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming elections.

Through fiery slogans such as “daas fanaanal” ("getting ready," or literally "sharpen the blade and wait"), Y’en A Marre has managed to galvanize a lot of youths to register to vote and the campaign is still ongoing. The final phase of this movement’s plan is to ensure that all registered youths go out and vote massively on Election Day. Their engagement has put them in the spotlight and earned them several invitations in Senegal and abroad, the latest being their participation in the UN general assembly session in New York last month. This gave Y’en A Marre more international exposure, as high-profile media groups such as the New York Times opened their columns to the young Senegalese activists.  Y’en A Marre has also been taking part in the M23 rallies, even though they refuse to be part of the movement, as they attempt to keep their distance from politicians who make up the majority of the movement membership.

The low turnout in the latest rallies organized by the M23 seems to show that the movement is fizzling out or at least many Senegalese people are losing interest in it. On the other hand, it may well be that they are waiting for the right moment to do what they have to do—the June 23 protest is a poignant illustration of such poise. On the day before the voting on the bill, even the most astute observers were quite sure that the bill would pass. Yet the next day, not only was the bill withdrawn but business went on again as usual as if nothing had happened the previous day. Only time will tell what will come out of the recent activism.