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Senegal: Youth and Democracy |
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This Sunday will see the first round of Senegal’s presidential elections. Incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade will face 14 challengers, among them his ex-prime minister and perhaps biggest rival, Idrissa Seck. Thus far violence has been minimal, though on Wednesday night there was a relatively minor clash (note: this link is accurate, but a little grim) between followers of Seck and the followers of a marabout, or Islamic religious leader, who has allied himself with Wade.
A prominent difference between campaigning strategies in America and strategies here in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, is that in a country where roughly half* of the population is under 18, and most are under 30, reaching out to youth is a major part of gaining - and demonstrating - political support.
This explains why you will see reggae bands and rappers performing at rallies for the 80+-year-old Wade; why every candidate’s campaign features convoys of trucks that drive through the streets blasting music, with young men hanging from every nook and cranny of the vehicles; why one candidate, Moustapha Niasse, promises to create 50,000 jobs and give 25,000 exit visas specifically to youth; and why candidates who appear on TV are often surrounded by ominous-looking young bodyguards wearing dark sunglasses. In short, every candidate is to some degree trying to present himself (only men in this race, unfortunately) as the voice of the next generation. This stands in contrast to America where, at least in my view, youth are often excluded from the political process. (Not to say that their inclusion in Senegal doesn’t pose problems of its own - witness the violence described above).
For an interesting take on the political process in Senegal, stay tuned for The Nomadic Wax/Sol Productions Democracy in Dakar Project. A team of American and Senegalese filmmakers and hip hop enthusiasts are currently filming a documentary about the role of Senegalese hip hop in the 2007 elections. Check out their press release (PDF) and interactive press kit.
Results and commentary on the first round to follow Sunday or Monday.
*On the UNICEF site you might have to do a little math yourself. Demographers often list the percentage of the population between 15 and 64 as one solid block, which is a profoundly unhelpful statistic when one is interested in youth. The UNICEF was the best link I could find from a reputable source.
It must be very cool to witness these kinds of events in action. I’m specifically interested in hearing about the campaign tactics and rhetoric used. It’s all about foreign policy over here, but it seems to be a lot more about domestic stuff there.
Very interesting stuff.
A few questions:
What is the minimum voting age? I’m guessing it is under 18 from what I’m hearing but that would be pretty odd.
Have you been to any debates? Or are there debates with all of the candidates? If so, do you think they are safe?
Not sure if you have a video or digital camera but some photos or video of campaign events would be awesome for the site.
Stay safe brother!
Will try and get photos tomorrow. Not dangerous here per se, but lying low appears to be good idea - earlier this evening there was a pro-Wade rally near my house and afterwards there were a lot of young men in the streets shouting slogans and waving flags. Tomorrow night is an official curfew, and Sunday (according to one taximan, not the greatest source) people will probably leave their homes to vote but then play it safe after that.
As far as voting age, I believe it’s 18. This is the problem with demographics - like I said, most sources (CIA World Factbook, etc.) give breakdowns for under 15 (around 40%), 15-64 (56%), and over 65 (3%). The 15-64 category is amazingly unhelpful, and the UNICEF was the only place I found that did a different breakdown. Hopefully I’ll find a better source later. Point is, though, there’s a huge 18-35 or “youth” demographic, keeping in mind that youth can have many definitions (are you married? do you live with your parents? etc) beyond age. Ultimate point is, most people are mad young, voters and non-voters. Winning their support is crucial.
As far as issues and debates, one thing that is admirable is that the main news station tries to give equal airtime to all candidates in the weeks leading up to the elections - ie, each night they all get their fifteen minutes of fame. Debates between candidates I have not heard of. One problem is that Wade and Seck had a secret meeting about a month ago and no one knows exactly what they talked about - but that’s beyond the interest level of our average reader in the States.
Parties here have labels like “socialist” and “democratic” but it doesn’t mean what it does in the States. People’s programs, if you want to call it that, center around “change” a lot of the time (this was Wade’s slogan when he came to power in 2000). Change means a lot of things, but mostly infrastructure, construction, bringing electricity to rural areas, things like that. Illegal emigration to Spain and elsewhere in Europe is a big issue, (especially, again, among the youth) and that’s why one candidate (if not more) are promising visas and jobs.
Hey man. Thanks for doing what you do and writing about this historic event.
If you’d like to check out the first episode - feel free to do so here!
Hope to link with you soon.
Best,
Ben