The president of Senegal (French: Président du Sénégal) is the head of state of Senegal. In accordance with the constitutional reform of 2001 and since a referendum that took place on 20 March 2016, the president is elected for a 5-year term, with a limit of two consecutive terms. The following is a list of presidents of Senegal, since the country gained independence from France in 1960.

President of the
Republic of Senegal
Président de la
République du Sénégal
since 2 April 2024
ResidencePalace of the Republic
Term length5 years, renewable once
Inaugural holderLéopold Sédar Senghor
Formation6 September 1960
Salary9,278,556 West African CFA francs annually[1]
Websitepresidence.sn

Election process

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Inauguration

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The Senegalese Constitution provides the following oath for the president which must be taken before they enter into office:

"I swear, before God and the people of Senegal, to faithfully execute the office of president of the republic of Senegal, to keep the provisions of the Constitution and laws and to ensure their observance, to devote all my strength to defending constitutional institutions, to defend Senegal's territorial integrity and its independence, and [I swear] to spare no effort to realize the unity of Africa".[2]

Term

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Term duration

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In 1991, presidential term lengths were extended from five to seven years.[3]

In January 2001, during Abdoulaye Wade's first term, a constitutional referendum reduced the presidential term back to five years.[4]

In July 2008, during Wade's second term, the National Assembly approved a constitutional amendment increasing the length of the presidential term back to seven years, as it was prior to the adoption of the 2001 constitution. This extension did not apply to Abdoulaye Wade's 2007–2012 term.[5][6]

In 2016, during Macky Sall's first term, per another constitutional referendum, the length of the presidential term was decreased back to five years. The amendments were adopted in constitutional law № 2016-10.[7][8]

Term limits

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As of 2021, there is a two-term limit for the president in the Constitution of Senegal. Abdoulaye Wade was controversially allowed to run for president in 2012 following the 2008 constitutional amendment, but lost re-election to Macky Sall.[9]

Privileges

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Buildings

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Palace of the Republic

The Palace of the Republic (French: Palais de la République) is the presidential residence, located in Dakar in the Plateau district. After having been the official residence of the Governor-General of French West Africa. The construction of the palace in its first state was ordered in 1902 by Gaston Doumergue, Minister of the Colonies, to house in the capital the Governor General of French West Africa who was then residing in Saint-Louis. The architect was Henri Deglane.[10]

List of officeholders

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Political parties
Symbols

§ Elected unopposed

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Political party Prime minister(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1   Léopold Sédar Senghor
(1906–2001)
1960[§]
1963[§]
1968[§]
1973[§]

1978
6 September 1960 31 December 1980 20 years, 116 days PSS Mamadou Dia
Abdou Diouf
2   Abdou Diouf
(born 1935)
1983
1988
1993
1 January 1981 1 April 2000 19 years, 91 days PSS Habib Thiam
Moustapha Niasse
Habib Thiam
Mamadou Lamine Loum
3   Abdoulaye Wade
(born 1926)
2000
2007
1 April 2000 2 April 2012 12 years, 1 day PDS Moustapha Niasse
Mame Madior Boye
Idrissa Seck
Macky Sall
Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré
Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye
4   Macky Sall
(born 1961)
2012
2019
2 April 2012 2 April 2024 12 years APR Abdoul Mbaye
Aminata Touré
Mohamed Dionne
Amadou Ba
Sidiki Kaba
5   Bassirou Diomaye Faye
(born 1980)
2024 2 April 2024 Incumbent 230 days PASTEF Sidiki Kaba
Ousmane Sonko

Timeline

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Bassirou Diomaye FayeMacky SallAbdoulaye WadeAbdou DioufLéopold Sédar Senghor

Latest election

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The highest and lowest paid African presidents – Business Daily". Business Daily. 27 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Senegal: All you need to know about the Apr 2nd presidential inauguration". Africanews. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  3. ^ Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook 1997, page 276.
  4. ^ "Elections in Senegal". africanelections.tripod.com. African Elections Database. Retrieved 10 June 2023. Main Points: Reduction of Presidential term from 7 to 5 years
  5. ^ "afrol News – Senegal approves presidential term extension". www.afrol.com. afrol News. 30 July 2008. Archived from the original on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Titre III : Du Président de la République". Gouvernement du Sénégal. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  7. ^ Macky SALL; Mahammed Boun Abdallah DIONNE (5 April 2016). "Loi constitutionnelle n° 2016-10 du 05 avril 2016 portant révision de la Constitution" (in French). JOURNAL OFFICIEL DU SENEGAL. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2023. Article 27. – La durée du mandat du Président de la République est de cinq ans.
  8. ^ "Senegal referendum approves shorter presidential terms". BBC News. 23 March 2016. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  9. ^ Cook, Candace; Siegle, Joseph. "Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa". Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
  10. ^ "Palais Présidentiel / Sénégal". www.au-senegal.com. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
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