Wade: Early polls a dream
2009-11-18 19:46
Dakar - Senegal's 83-year-old president Abdoulaye Wade has shot down rumours that he plans to call early presidential elections, dismissing such talk as "opposition dreams".
"Why do you want us to call elections? That's the opposition dreaming. The government is not fickle," Wade told local journalists on Tuesday night, the APS news agency reported.
Wade's term officially runs until 2012 and there have been rumours that he could call early elections after his ruling party lost several important cities including Dakar to the opposition in local elections in March.
"The law allows me to organise elections within the next 45, 60 days. (But) we have until 2012," Wade said, after meeting with several officials of parties that have pledged their backing for Wade's 2012 candidacy.
Wade announced that his PDS Senegalese democratic party will try to form a political alliance with other parties for the elections.
Earlier this month Wade said he was confident that he would win a third term and that he could even choose not to campaign.
Wade has also called on several high profile liberal dissidents who have left his party to return to the fold in time for the 2012 vote.
- SAPA
