West African bloc asks Senegal to reverse the presidential election delay that’s caused an uproar

DAKAR, Senegal — Authorities in Senegal should hold the presidential election this month as scheduled instead of delaying it by 10 months, West Africa’s regional bloc said Tuesday, as the United Nations human rights office expressed concern about the unprecedented decision in one of Africa’s most stable democracies. The West Africa bloc known as ECOWAS, which has struggled to contain a surge in coups in the region, encouraged the political class “to take steps urgently to restore the electoral calendar in accordance with the provisions of Senegal’s Constitution.” Senegal’s presidential election has never been postponed. United Nations human rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell expressed concern about the situation in Senegal and said any decision to postpone elections should be “based on broad-based consultations.” U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee, said the postponement “puts the country on a dangerous path towards dictatorship, and must not be allowed to stand.” The crisis comes at a time when the West African bloc is struggling to retain its members. The bloc must limit its interference in member nations’ politics or expand its supervisory role, said Oluwole Ojewale, a West and Central Africa analyst with the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies.