Senegal court publishes list of presidential candidates

DAKAR, Senegal – Senegal’s constitutional court has approved five of 27 candidates who filed to run in the Feb. 24 presidential elections, rejecting two major opponents to incumbent President Macky Sall.

The court published the candidates’ names Monday, which include Sall, Idrissa Seck, Issa Sall, Madicke Niang and Ousmane Sonko.

The court rejected applications by Dakar Mayor Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade.

The court said Dakar’s mayor, currently in prison for misappropriation of money, doesn’t qualify because he is sentenced for an offence punishable by more than five years’ imprisonment.

Wade, ex-President Abdoulaye Wade’s son, has been in Qatar since his release from prison in 2016 after serving three years for corruption. The court says Wade is not a registered voter and therefore can’t be a candidate.

Candidates have 48 hours to appeal.