Senegal: Opposition parties unite ahead of the legislative elections

With less than two months remaining before Senegal’s early legislative elections on November 17, political parties are preparing for battle. They have just four days left to submit their candidate lists for validation by the Ministry of the Interior.

As new coalitions take shape, the country’s political landscape is undergoing significant changes.

One of the most notable developments is the formation of a new coalition called the "Bloc of Liberals and Democrats" (BLD) - Takku ("unite" in Wolof).

The alliance includes 40 political parties, notably the Alliance for the Republic (APR) of former President Macky Sall and Rewmi, led by former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck.

This coalition comes as rumors intensify about a possible dissolution of the National Assembly and early legislative elections.

While the APR and Rewmi are key players in the BLD-Takku, the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), led by Karim Wade, has chosen not to join the alliance.

Modou Diagne Fada, a former minister and one of the architects of the coalition, explained that the goal is to unite opposition forces against the government. Initially focused on ideological collaboration, the coalition aims to evolve into a formal electoral bloc as the country prepares for potential legislative elections in the near future.