Senegal extends president terms
2008-07-30 08:28
Dakar - The Senegalese parliament has passed a law extending the presidential term to seven years from five, but the ruling will not apply to sitting President Abdoulaye Wade, says a justice ministry official.
Wade, who came to power in the West African country in 2000 for a seven-year term, was re-elected under a new constitution for a second and final five-year term last year, due to end in 2012.
"The presidential term is now extended to seven years, but it will be applied to the next sitting president," Mansour Kandji, advisor to the Minister of Justice, who introduced the bill, said.
The bill was passed late on Monday, he said.
A small crowd who wanted to stage a demonstration on Monday against the extension of the bill was dispersed by riot police.
Senegal had enjoyed a reputation for stability and democracy since it adopted multiparty politics in the 1970s but critics accused the octogenarian Wade of becoming increasingly authoritarian.
- Reuters