Senegal Constitutional Council says proposed election date not constitutional

Senegal's Constitutional Council said on Wednesday that a proposal by the national dialogue commission to hold a presidential election on June 2 was not constitutional. It said arranging the vote for a date after President Macky Sall's mandate expires on April 2 would be unconstitutional.

Senegal's Constitutional Council said on Wednesday that a proposal by the national dialogue commission to hold a presidential election on June 2 was not constitutional.

It said arranging the vote for a date after President Macky Sall's mandate expires on April 2 would be unconstitutional. Senegal has been thrown into political turmoil since authorities postponed the election initially scheduled for Feb. 25 to December - a move the council later ruled to be against the constitution.

Following the ruling, the country's national dialogue commission proposed last week that the delayed poll be held in June and recommended Sall remain in office until his successor is sworn in. But the Constitutional Council on Wednesday said the new proposed date had no legal basis and that rescheduling the vote after Sall's mandate expires on April 2 was unconstitutional.

It also maintained a list of 19 contenders despite demands for a main opposition candidate to be included.