Host Country Political Snapshot

Host Country Political Snapshot

 

Independence/National Day: 4 April

Country from which they gained independence: France

Year of independence: 1960

Key events in political history and years they occured:

• late 1800s - France extends its influence, gains control of all the territory of Senegal.
• 1914 - Blaise Diagne elected as Senegal's first African deputy to French parliament.
• 1946 - Senegal becomes part of the French Union.
• 1958 - Becomes an autonomous republic, as part of the French Community.
• 1960 June - Senegal becomes independent, as part of Mali Federation.
• 1963 - First constitution drawn-up.
• 1966 - Senghor's Senegalese Progressive Union becomes country's sole political party.
• 1978 - Three-party political system introduced.
• 1981 - Leopold Senghor steps down; Abdou Diouf becomes president in 1981.
• 2001 January - Voters back new constitution that shortens presidential term, limits holder to two terms, and gives president power to dissolve parliament.
• 2001 April - Abdoulaye Wade's Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) wins an overwhelming majority in parliamentary elections.
• 2002 November - President Wade sacks the prime minister and the rest of the government; the move is said to be linked to the handling of the Joola ferry disaster.

Leader/president: President: Abdoulaye Wade Prime Minister: Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré

Political parties: 72 political parties are registered, the most important of which are:

·   the Democratic Party of Senegal (PDS)

·    Rewmi, Socialist Party (PS)

·    the Alliance of Forces for Progress (AFP)

·    the Union for Democratic Renewal (URD)

·    the National Democratic Rally (RND)

·   the Independence and Labor Party (PIT)

Current political situation: a semi-presidential, liberal democratic republic, whereby the President of Senegal is the head of state and the Prime Minister of Senegal the head of government. The government exercises executive power. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.