Opposition presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye is set to become Senegal's next president,the National Election Commission's provisional tally showed on Monday.

The Senegal Electoral Commission said Faye had won 53.68% of the vote, whereas the ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba won 36.2% of the vote, with 90% of the results from polling stations counted.

Ba had already called Faye earlier in the day to concede defeat following Sunday's elections, as had many other candidates vying for the presidency. Faye and Ba were the top presidential contenders.

At 44, Faye is also on course to be the youngest president of the country. 

Outgoing President Sall congratulates Faye

Outgoing President Macky Sall offered his congratulations to Faye shortly before the electoral commission posted its results, writing: "I salute the smooth running of the presidential election of March 24, 2024 and congratulate the winner, Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who the trends show as the winner. It is the victory of Senegalese democracy." 

A candidate needs an absolute majority of 50% of the vote to win the first round. Since Faye has more than 50%, a run-off vote can now be ruled out.

The vote on Sunday was largely peaceful with a high turnout, observers said. Results from polling stations that had completed counting were posted overnight on social media. 

Ba congratulates Faye for winning 1st round

"In light of presidential election result trends and while we await the official proclamation, I congratulate... Faye for his victory in the first round," Ba had said in a statement in the afternoon.

Ba had briefly appeared in front of his supporters on Sunday night, saying he would give a "definitive" assessment around midday on Monday.

Faye has not publicly spoken since he cast his vote.

Celebrations in Dakar

Faye, who had been released from jail just days ago before the vote, was a relatively unknown political figure outside his party. He is a senior official in the party led by popular opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. 

Sonko, who was seen as the main challenger to President Macky Sall's governing party, was disqualified from running for the presidency over a defamation conviction he said he was politically motivated, which authorities deny.

Members of Sonko's dissolved Pastef party and other parties formed a coalition and picked Faye as a candidate in November. After the two were released from jail on March 16, Sonko immediately hit the campaign trail, calling on his supporters to elect Faye.

The key tenets of the opposition's campaign rested on the need to fight corruption in the government and to protect Senegal's economy from the influence of foreign powers.

Elections after months of unrest

Ba, who stepped down as prime minister to campaign, was backed by Macky Sall. Sall's refusal to say whether he would run for a third term after having already served two terms, as he is constitutionally bound, helped spark the political unrest last summer.

He ultimately ruled out a third term last July.

The elections also come after Sall unsuccessfully tried to postpone the 25 February vote until the end of the year, sparking violent protests. Ultimately, the vote was held on Sunday. 

Senegal has stood apart in a region where the military has seized power from civilian governments in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The election is the nation's fourth democratic transfer of power since it gained independence from France in 1960.

rm/msh (Reuters, AP)