Voting began at eight o’clock this Sunday at the HLM Néma polling center in Ziguinchor, better known as the ‘Ecole des Filles.’ It was at this voting center that the leader of the former PASTEF party, Ousmane Sonko, cast his vote. Sonko urged his supporters not to succumb to provocation, citing information indicating a plan to instigate violence in the areas of Mbacké and Bawol to disrupt the voting process.

“I will appeal for calm, for serenity. In any case, we have no interest in these organizations being disrupted, because we have won these fishing for life. I will appeal to avoid respond to provocations. We know that in certain areas, particularly in Bawol, in the department of Mbacké, the plan is to create provocations so that there are brawls, so that there are clashes and that the authorities are drawing conclusions from this to request the suspension of the vote. Let’s ask everyone to remain calm and serene.”

Sonko also emphasized the importance of high voter turnout in this presidential election, stating that it would indicate the true legitimacy of the winning president. He called on young people to be vigilant.

“We hope that this year’s participation rate will be a record participation rate since independence until today. That we can exceed the 70 or 75% participation rate. This will be indicative of the legitimacy of the president that we are going to choose, that is to say the president Basse-Réunion-Mainstre. We are launching this appeal, but we are also launching a call for vigilance, particularly among young people who continue to organize the rounds and the brigades for monitoring and securing elections.”

Meanwhile, the candidate supported by Ousmane Sonko, the president of the Diomaye coalition, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, voted in Ndiaganiao in the center of Ndiandiaye.

Arriving around 11 a.m. in his stronghold, Diomaye first went to his family home before arriving at his polling place with his two wives at 11:30 a.m. He carried out his civic duty at office number 2.

The commune of Ndiaganiao has 53 polling stations distributed in 37 centers with 19,701 registered voters.

Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s Ndiandiaye Center has four polling stations and 1,875 registered voters.