The most salient outcome of the presidential elections in Senegal is a heightened, irreversible sense of empowerment; the notion that ordinary people constitute the first and most important institution in a democracy.
After months of tension, fuelled by ex-President Abdoulaye Wade's obstinate bid for a third term, there is a great sigh of relief that Senegal has managed peacefully to elect a new president. Most Western countries and international representations had advised their nationals and employees to pack and leave before the country collapsed into post-electoral chaos. But Wade's positive reaction to Macky Sall's victory helped diffuse the sort of violence and disorder many observers had predicted.
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