By Omar Bah
The main opposition United Democratic Party has commended President Macky Sall of Senegal for his decision to not seek for a third term.
On Monday, President Sall shocked the world by announcing that he will not be a candidate in next year’s election.
Part of a long statement signed by UDP leader Ousainu Darboe shared with The Standard reads: “I am writing on behalf of the National Executive Committee of the United Democratic Party (UDP), the minority leader of the National Assembly of the Gambia and the mayors of Banjul, and Kanifing Municipality, and the Chairpersons of West Coast Region and Lower River Region and indeed on my own behalf to offer my personal commendations on your decision not to be a candidate in the forthcoming Presidential Elections of the sister Republic of Senegal. Your Excellency, I have listened attentively to your broadcast to your people in which you place great emphasis on the primacy of peace in national affairs. I found your broadcast to be statesmanlike, patriotic and the voice of a genuine democrat. Confirming once again your Excellency’s democratic credentials and personal commitment to peaceful means for peaceful ends. While we applaud your democratic stance Mr President, as West Africans we are aware that our sub region is going through a democratic recession, this is seen in the republics of Mali, Guinea Conakry, and Burkina Faso, all three are currently under sanctions by the Ecowas Commission. We pray that other leaders in our sub region and African continent will follow your great example and not seek third terms.”
