USAID supports civil society ahead of polls

Voters cast their ballots in peaceful presidential elections on February 25, 2007. USAID support to civil society organizations went a long way to ensure that the electoral process was well understood by the Senegalese people. Photo by Richard Nyberg, USAID

Promoting civic participation, USAID provided timely support to civil society organizations (CSOs) in Senegal in the run-up to presidential elections on February 25, 2007.   This assistance helped educate the Senegalese people about the electoral process and their rights as participatory citizens.

Although civil society in Senegal is dynamic, the weak institutional and organizational capacity of most CSOs has limited their ability to demand more transparency and accountability from the government.  The postponement of Senegal's presidential election from May 2006 to February 2007 raised concern among CSOs and the local media about transparency in the election process and reduced political competition that could jeopardize Senegal’s tradition of democratic governance. 

For the 2007 poll, the government decided to create an entirely new electoral list and introduce new identity and voter cards. There were many skeptics, given the level of effort required to register millions of voters in such a short time to overcome card production difficulties, verify the accuracy of the voter lists, and distribute voter cards.

At the request of civil society organizations, the USAID supported a coalition of CSOs to assure a smooth and fair electoral process and guarantee public confidence in the election.  The assistance enabled CSOs to promote voter registration, monitor the overall election process, and serve as election observers.   The groups also mediated between political parties over outstanding election issues and audited the voters’ list.

As a result, the distribution of nearly 10 million new identity and voter cards was made possible while voter turnout reached all time high of 70% -- nearly five million voters. 

“The USAID assistance was determinant – we could not have achieved these unprecedented results without this support,” said Professor Babacar Gueye, who coordinated the civil society electoral activity. “We were able to have a real presence on the ground with observers placed in all 11 regions of the country.  We eliminated duplicate names on local voter lists and worked closely with all political parties to help ensure a smooth electoral process.”  

Incumbent candidate Abdoulaye Wade won the election in the first round with almost 56% of the national vote out of a field of 15 candidates.