After weeks of protests that claimed three lives, President Macky Sall has announced that the election will be held on June 2, two months after he leaves office on April 2.

The protests followed Mr Sall’s announcement of election postponement in the West African country.

“The national dialogue has called for June 2, 2024, as the new date for presidential elections in Senegal,” Mr Sall said in a tweet on Thursday.

The president reaffirmed that he will leave office at the expiration of his tenure on April 2.

“I want to make it categorically clear that I will step down from office on April 2, as I have previously made clear. My departure date is absolutely firm,” Mr Sall said.

This comes weeks after Senegal’s Constitutional Council declared Mr Sall’s unilateral postponement of the election scheduled for February 25, ratified by the National Assembly, “unlawful.”

Mr Sall’s announcement contradicts the opposition candidate’s request for the election to be held before April 2.

Though Senegalese will go to polls on June 2, Mr Sall, 62, who assumed power in 2012, has already set a precedence as the president who got Senegal’s election calendar disrupted with his “unlawful” election postponement. 

Since 1960, Senegal, a bastion of democracy among neighbouring countries notorious for coup d’état and military takeover, has enjoyed stable democracy. 

Reacting to Mr Sall’s announcement, some Senegalese berated him as the worst president for disrupting Senegal’s election calendar.

An X user, @VoixDusen, said, “You leave, but you leave the country in an unprecedented situation, all out of spite. You do everything to prevent the election from taking place before April 2nd, as the constitutional council has so clearly requested from you. You are indeed the worst president Senegal has ever known.”

Another user, @GilaniSeye, said, “@Macky_Sall is a BIG liar! He’s pretending to leave after April 2nd, but we all know he’s lying as usual. Twelve years in Office but cannot organize democratic, inclusive and transparent elections. No one should give him any credit. #FreeSenegal.”

Also, @AmonTusiimire said, “Let’s hope you will keep your word to break African leaders’ curse of wanting to overstay in power. Your departure will cleanse you, Mr President.”