presidential election - The African Mirror

Sep

09

2024

Young voters were crucial in 2020. They’re urging Kamala Harris not to take them for granted

WORLD

IN November, Adah Crandall plans to vote in her first presidential election. There’s no question which candidate she’s supporting: Vice President Kamala Harris. Crandall, an 18-year-old organizer with the Sunrise Movement, which is made up of young climate activists, said the choice is clear. “I would rather organize under Harris than under a man that … fundamentally doesn’t believe the climate crisis is real.” Former President Donald Trump has labelled climate change a “hoax,” and his administration rolled back climate protections, while Harris’ decisive vote for the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act allowed the United States to make unprecedented environmental investments. As a…

Jul

17

2024

By The African Mirror

Kagame on course for a historic third term as President of Rwanda

NEWS

ALL indications point to Paul Kagame securing another overwhelming victory in Rwanda's presidential election, with early results suggesting he has won over 90% of the vote for a historic fourth term as president. Rwandans went to the polls on Monday to elect their next president, with incumbent Kagame taking a commanding lead in early results. The election is widely expected to extend Kagame's near quarter-century rule over the East African nation. According to Reuters, the National Electoral Commission said, with 78.94% of votes counted, Kagame was ahead with 99.15% of the votes. The overall voter turnout was reported at an…

Jul

16

2024

By IVÁN REYES

As election looms, Venezuelans see-saw between hope and fear

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. By Iván Reyes WEEKS before polling day in Venezuela’s pivotal presidential election, the gulf in outcome is too wide for many to process: Either Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian rule will continue or – whisper it quietly – an opposition outsider could be allowed to triumph. If the increasingly unpopular Maduro steals the election, many Venezuelans say they would consider migrating. The ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis has already led more than 7.7 million people to leave since 2015. On 30 June, thousands of Venezuelans headed to the polls for an election rehearsal.…

Jul

01

2024

By The African Mirror

Mauritania’s President Ghazouani wins re-election, provisional results show

NEWS

MAURITANIAN President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has won the country's presidential election, according to provisional results from over 99.27% of polling stations released by the West African nation's electoral commission. Ghazouani was re-elected in the Saturday election with over 56% of the vote, results from 4,468 polling stations out of 4,503 showed on Mauritania's independent electoral commission's website. The 67-year-old former army chief of staff and defence minister, who was first elected in 2019, has pledged to boost investment to spur a commodities boom in the West African country of 5 million people, as it prepares to start producing natural gas…

May

23

2024

By The African Mirror

Chad’s PM Masra resigns after disputed election, Deby confirmed winner

NEWS

CHAD'S prime minister and opposition leader Succes Masra has tendered his resignation after interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby was confirmed as a winner of the May 6 presidential election, Masra said. Masra, a staunch opponent of the junta, which seized power in April 2021, was appointed prime minister of the transitional government in January, four months ahead of the poll, in a move to appease the opposition. In March, his candidacy was cleared for the presidential election to return the country to constitutional rule. The oil-producing country is the first of a string of coup-hit states in West and Central Africa's Sahel region to attempt such…

May

07

2024

By The African Mirror

Malawi court drops corruption charges against vice president

NEWS

A court in Malawi has dropped corruption charges against the country's Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima, clearing a legal hurdle over his potential candidacy in next year's presidential election. Chilima was arrested in 2022 over graft allegations after the country's corruption watchdog alleged he was rewarded for assisting Xaviar Ltd and Malachitte FZE, two companies connected to British businessman Zuneth Sattar, for being awarded contracts by the Malawi Government. Both Chilima and Sattar denied any wrongdoing. In a notice seen by Reuters, Judge Redson Kapindu said the decision to drop the charges was after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) filed a…

Mar

27

2024

By BATE FELIX and ALESSANDRA PRENTICE

Senegal election a welcome boost for coup-prone West Africa

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

FOR all the drama and the sometimes violent protests in the run-up to Senegal's presidential election, the former French colony looked set for a peaceful transition of power on Monday - a welcome boost for democracy in coup-prone West Africa. Sunday's vote, which was delayed from its original date of February 25, went off smoothly with supporters of opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye celebrating in the streets overnight as preliminary results put him firmly ahead. On Monday, both Faye's rival in the ruling coalition, Amadou Ba, and outgoing President Macky Sall congratulated Faye for winning the election before any official results from the electoral…

Mar

27

2024

By DOUGLAS YATES

Senegal: Macky Sall’s reputation is dented, but the former president did a lot at home and abroad

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MACKY Sall’s legacy as Senegal’s president since 2012 became more complex in his last year in office. The year was so filled with transgressions that they appeared to have tarnished his reputation indelibly. For some months he gave the impression to his adversaries and critics that he had third-term ambitions – not uncommon in contemporary west African politics. A public outcry followed his decision on 3 February 2024 to postpone the polls that had originally been scheduled for three weeks later. Then his deputies in the national assembly voted unanimously to postpone the elections and prolong Sall’s term in office…

Mar

26

2024

By BATE FELIX and PORTIA CROWE

From prison to palace: Faye’s road to Senegal’s presidency

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, EDITORS CHOICE

JUST a few months ago, the man set to be Senegal's next president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, was sitting in a prison cell, a relatively unknown figure outside his opposition party Pastef. Everything changed for him when the party's firebrand leader, Ousmane Sonko, who was also detained, was charged with insurrection in July and barred from running in elections to succeed President Macky Sall. That cleared the way for Faye to emerge from the shadow of his former boss and eventually from prison, take over the race and on Monday - the day of his 44th birthday - emerge as the victor after his opponent conceded…

Mar

20

2024

By HELGA DICKOW

Chad presidential election: assassination of main opposition figure casts doubt on country’s return to democracy

NEWS

THE assassination of Chad’s main opposition leader, Yaya Dillo, is hanging heavy over presidential elections due in early May. Dillo was killed on 28 February when the headquarters of the opposition Party Socialiste sans Frontières (Party of Socialists without Borders) in the Chadian capital N'Djamena was besieged by the newly formed Rapid Reaction Force. It’s not the first violence meted out to the opposition. In October 2022 Chadian security forces killed hundreds of protesters. They were protesting the extension of the transition to democracy from 18 to 36 months and the decision of transitional president Mahamat Idriss Déby to stand…