15 Candidates Line up for Palais de la Republique.
The electoral campaign for the 2007 presidential elections in Senegal started yesterday, Sunday, February 4th. This year, 15 candidates will run for the most important institution of the Republic. The incumbent, Me Abdoulaye Wade, is seeking a new mandate after his election in the 2000 polls. The Senegalese Head of State is the candidate of several political parties. He leads the Alliance named Coalition Sopi 2007.
Me Wade started his official campaign in Mbacke near the holy town of Touba, where he paid a courtesy call on Serigne Saliou Mbacke, the Khalife General of the Mouride. The leader of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), the ruling party will face 14 other candidates. All the 15 candidates embarked on their campaign in various places in Dakar and in the provinces for their first rallies and meetings with their militants.

Idrissa Seck, the former Senegalese Prime Minister, will contest the elections under the umbrella of the coalition called Jamm Ji. He started his electoral campaign in Point E, in Dakar.

Landing Savane, member of the Senegalese government, is the candidate of And Jef/ PADS, his political party. Me. Savane, who participated in the election of President Wade in 2000, has made clear some years ago his intention to run for the forthcoming presidential elections. He organised his first rally in Guediawaye, in the suburb of the Senegalese capital.

Professor Abdoulaye Bathily is the candidate of the party called LD/MPT. Former minister under the government of Me Wade, his political party had some misunderstanding with the Head of State whom he also supported to come into power in the last presidential elections in 2000.

His collaboration with the ruling party ended a year ago. M. Bathily was yesterday in Dakar for his rally.

The former Premier Minister, Moustapha Niass, the candidate of his party AFP, organised a meeting in Dakar.

Ousmane Tanor Dieng, the leader of the Socialist Party (PS), the former ruling party, contests the elections under the umbrella of this party. The Minority Leader in the National Assembly held a big rally in the city of Louga, in the North of the country, and former stronghold of PS.

Talla Sylla, another candidate and leader of the Alliance Jef/Jel, was in Louga.

Robert Sagna, a former minister and important member of the former ruling party, is being supported by militants of the same party. Me. Sagna is the Mayor of Ziguinchor.

Ahmadou Bamba Dieye, Chairman of the FSD/BJ party will contest this election.

Two lawyers, Me. Mame Adama Gueye and Me. Doudou Ndoye, former minister of justice in the 90s, during the tenure of President Abdou Diouf, will contest the 2007 polls as independent candidates. They started their electoral campaign in Dakar.

Jacques Senghor, Mamadou Lamine Diallo and Modou Dia are among the other independent candidates who want to be elected as the 4th Senegalese president in the political history of the country.