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Macky Sall ready to tackle Senegal woes

By Stephane Barbier and Malick Rokhy Ba
Senegal Presidential candidate Macky Sall addresses supporters during a rally closing the campaign.  By Seyllou AFPFile
MAR 24, 2012 LISTEN
Presidential candidate Macky Sall addresses supporters during a rally closing the campaign. By Seyllou (AFP/File)

DAKAR (AFP) - Senegal's former prime minister Macky Sall told AFP on the eve of Sunday's presidential run-off he was confident he would thwart Abdoulaye Wade's third term bid, foreseeing a 70 percent win.

In an interview at his home in Dakar, Sall was relaxed, despite the pressure of being the man heading an opposition juggernaut aiming to unseat Wade, who wants another term which could see him rule into his 90s.

Even the country's most famous export, superstar Youssou Ndour, hit the campaign trail to rally voters to pick Sall in Sunday's election.

"If all goes well, we should be at around 70 percent" of votes cast, said Sall.

"Wade cannot win," he added, pointing out that the embattled octogenarian failed to gain the support of a single one of the 12 presidential candidates who fell out in a first round of voting.

A defiant Wade, 85, has said the same of his rival, calling the idea of his loss "absurd."

Sall is however concerned about fraud.

"The Senegalese electoral system is tried and tested ... provided the regime plays the game," he said.

"We have heard very worrying rumours of false identity cards and people who were not registered being given new identity cards or voter cards," he said, adding paraffin was being used to dissolve indelible ink during voting.

Another fear is that Wade announce a result different to that coming out of polling stations.

In February 26 polls, Wade came first with 34.81 percent and Sall scored 26.58 percent. With the remainder of the opposition votes, Sall is the favourite, but turnout was low and a number of factors could still influence the outcome.

"I think he (Wade) will have the wisdom to admit defeat and save us from a (troubling) situation," said Sall, adding that if he did not do so "the Senegalese people will solve the problem.

He said that if elected, "several emergencies" loomed.

These include a "dramatic public finance situation" as well as a food crisis in the north where some 800,000 Senegalese are going hungry due to a drought gripping the Sahel.

Sall envisions cutting a bloated government in half, which would mean a reduction of some 20 ministers, as well as its diplomatic representation abroad and use the savings to lower the prices of basic goods.

After years of grumblings over mismanagement of public finances, observers have said Wade fears he or members of his family could face prosecution if they ever lose power.

"Senegal is a democracy after all, with rules and laws," said Sall, when asked about future implications for Wade should he lose.

"A new state must take stock, it is the least of things."

Sall was once widely tipped to succeed the veteran leader before he fell from grace and left the ruling party following a meteoric rise which took him through several ministerial portfolios.

On the international scene, Sall said he would first try and "gain back Senegal's diplomatic credibility which was seriously flayed" by Wade's efforts to stay in power and the resulting riots.

He condemned the coup in neighbouring Mali in which mutinous soldiers ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure on Thursday.

"It is inconceivable that a coup d'etat disrupts the democratic cycle. I would like the arrested ministers to be freed. This drama must come to an end."

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