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Results Of Senegal's Presidential Poll Due Thursday: Source

By AFP
Senegal Incumbent President Macky Sall C is expected to win enough votes to claim a first-round victory, according to local media reports of regional vote tallies.  By SEYLLOU AFP
FEB 27, 2019 LISTEN
Incumbent President Macky Sall (C) is expected to win enough votes to claim a first-round victory, according to local media reports of regional vote tallies. By SEYLLOU (AFP)

The results of Senegal's presidential election will be released Thursday, a source at the official body handling the count said.

The provisional results will be released at 11:00 am (1100 GMT), the source at the National Vote Counting Commission, known as CNRV, said Wednesday, confirming a report by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS).

Since Tuesday, the CNRV, led by a magistrate, has been examining the tallies sent to the 45 departmental committees across the country and the count for Senegalese voting abroad.

Media reports Tuesday based on tallies of the regional results -- with 90 percent of votes counted -- suggested that President Macky Sall was poised to return to power after Sunday's election.

According to those figures, Sall was set to win without needing a second-round run-off because he was already comfortably over the 50-percent total required for a definitive, first-round victory.

His nearest rival was former prime minister Idrissa Seck, according to the media reports.

A number of the other presidential candidates have insisted that a second-round run-off would be inevitable.

The head of the European Union observer group said Tuesday that while the vote had been "calm and transparent" it had taken place "in a climate characterised by a lack of trust and blocked dialogue".

A source close to the interior ministry said that turnout was higher than 66 percent.

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