Wade booed while voting in Senegal’s tense polls
Dakar, 26 Feb – (ANA) - Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade, who is seeking to extend his 12-year rule despite complaints he is violating term limits, was heckled by scores of voters as he cast his ballot on Sunday.
The election comes after weeks of violent street protests against the 85-year-old's bid for a third term in office and a stream of warnings that Senegal's reputation as an established democracy now hangs in the balance.
More than a hundred people booed and chanted "Wade go away" in the local Wolof language as the visibly annoyed leader, seen as favorite against a fractured opposition, was ushered out of the polling station by his aides without giving a speech.
Foreign powers and diplomats issued last minute appeals for calm and a transparent vote, and a top African mediator failed to secure an agreement between Wade and his rivals over a shortened term for the incumbent if he won. (ANA)
FA/ANA/26 February 2012---------