2007年VOA标准英语-Senegalese Presidential Contenders Tour Country

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
05 February 2007

On the second day of campaigning for presidential elections in Senegal, incumbent 1 President Abdoulaye Wade 2 took his campaign to the southern Casamance region, the site of a long-running separatist movement. Other candidates in the 15-man race launched their campaigns in the capital, Dakar. Naomi Schwarz has more from VOA's Dakar bureau.

 
Abdoulaye Wade (Jan 2006)
Supporters of President Wade sang and played drums, as they waited for their candidate to appear at a rally in Ziguinchor, in the southern Casamance region.

Mr. Wade negotiated a peace settlement in 2004, after more than two decades of fighting between separatist rebels and government forces.

But fighting in Casamance has flared 3 up in recent months, and the country was shocked in December by the brutal 4 assassination 5 of Omar Lamine Badji, an important administrative 6 official in the region and a close ally of Mr. Wade.

It is the second campaign stop for the president, who launched his campaign Sunday in Touba, in central Senegal, where the Mouride Muslim Brotherhood 7 is based. Millions of Senegalese claim allegiance to the Mourides.

 
Supporters cheer candidate Idrissa Seck at a rally
Other candidates opened the brief campaign season in the capital, Dakar, but they also said that they planned to tour the country in the coming weeks.

Bamba Touré, from Kolda in southern Senegal, is a supporter of Idrissa Seck, a main contender. Touré says that he is one of 50 youths, who will accompany Seck on his trip around Senegal to gain the confidence of the Senegalese people.

 
Supporters hold signs and flags for Senegalese presidential candidate Moustapha Niasse
Although the campaign season only officially began on Sunday, political candidates have spent months organizing. Each neighborhood in major cities and region of the country is under the watch of a party coordinator 8, who is charged with rallying supporters and spreading their candidate's message.

Momar Mbaye is the coordinator for Seck's party, Rewmi, in a densely 9 populated neighborhood just outside Dakar. He says that they are already beyond the stage of knocking on doors, and that they have already achieved a high level of mobilization.

 
Signs for President Abdoulaye Wade's campaign are all around Dakar
But the next three weeks are still crucial, he says. He says he has left his job for the duration of the campaign, and plans to devote himself full-time 10 to getting Seck elected.

Senegal is viewed by many West African analysts 11 as one of the most democratic in the region, but some of the president's opponents say freedom of speech has been curbed 12 during his time in power. They have also said they are not completely satisfied at the slow release of voter cards, and have warned Mr. Wade of not trying any foul 13 play.