Senegal: President gets election win, rivals won't challenge

Senegalese President Macky Sall easily won re-election to a second term during a first round of voting, election officials announced Thursday.

His opponents issued a joint statement saying they would not challenge the results.

The statement from the four opposition candidates ended days of political uncertainty in Senegal, a democracy long known for peaceful transfers of power.

After the prime minister told ruling party supporters that unofficial results showed Sall winning 57 per cent of Sunday's vote, top opponents dismissed the claim and told supporters to prepare for a runoff election.

Election observers reported finding no major irregularities during the presidential vote.

In their joint statement, the opposition candidates said they still rejected the election's outcome, but added, "We will not be taking any recourse at the constitutional council."
"The gap between him and the other candidates is big."
The 57-year-old Sall campaigned on his record of building roads and creating jobs, calling himself "the builder of modern Senegal."
"I don't hate Macky Sall, but I can't love him."