Former Nigerian leader in Senegal peace bid
Dakar, 22 Feb – (ANA) – A joint AU-ECOWAS observer mission is in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, ahead of elections on Sunday to try to defuse rising tensions between opposition party members and supporters of incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade who is also a candidate. Former Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo is heading the joint African Union-Economic Community of West African States observer mission. Speaking on arrival, Mr Obasanjo said "My job here is, first, election observation, and, second, to be proactive on behalf of our two organisations [AU and Ecowas] to prevent what is undesirable and unwanted." Senegal is often held as one of Africa's model democracies - it remains the only West African country where the army has never seized power. But protests broke out in January after the country's highest court ruled that Mr Wade could seek a third term and banned singer Youssou Ndour from standing. The constitution limits heads of state to two terms in office but the judges ruled that Mr Wade's first term did not count as this was before the limit was introduced. Once a veteran opposition leader himself, Mr Wade, 85, was first elected in 2000 - ending 40 years of rule by the Socialist Party. While in Dakar, Mr Obasanjo and his team will meet key presidential candidates, including two former prime ministers, Moustapha Niasse and Idrissa Seck, and the leader of the opposition Socialist Party, Ousmane Tanor Dieng. (ANA)
FA/ANA/22 February 2012---------