Senegal

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Senegal

President Abdoulaye Wade Prime Minister Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré Parliament National Assembly Senate Political parties Elections: Pres. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Elections Presidents of Senegal 1960-present Léopold Sédar Senghor: 6 September 1960 - 31 December 1980 Abdoulaye Wade (born May 29 1926 is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000 The Prime Minister of Senegal is the Head of government of Senegal. Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré (born 1951) has been the Prime Minister of Senegal since June 2007 The Parliament of Senegal (Parlement du Sénégal is the country's Bicameral national Parliament. The National Assembly of Senegal (Assemblée nationale du Sénégal is the lower house of the country's parliament. The Senate of Senegal (Sénat du Sénégal has been the upper house of the Parliament of Senegal from 1999 until 2001 and again since 2007 Political parties in Senegal lists political parties in Senegal. Elections in Senegal gives information on Election and election results in Senegal. : 2007 Parl. A presidential election was held in Senegal on 25 February 2007. : 2007 Regions Departments Arrondissements Casamance Conflict Foreign relations

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Politics of Senegal takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential, liberal democratic republic, whereby the President of Senegal is the head of state and the Prime Minister of Senegal the head of government. Parliamentary elections were held in Senegal on 3 June 2007. They had originally been planned to be held together with the presidential election |||} Senegal is subdivided into 11 regions ( régions, singular région) each of which is administered by a Conseil Régionaux elected by population The 11 Regions of Senegal are subdivided into 35 departments and 103 arrondissements (neither of which have administrative function and by collectivités locales The departments of Senegal are subdivided into Arrondissements The arrondissements are listed below by department Bakel Bala Diawara The Casamance Conflict is a low-level Civil war that has been waged between the Government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance President Léopold Senghor advocated close relations with France and negotiation and compromise as the best means of resolving international differences Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent The semi-presidential system is a System of government in which a prime minister and a President are both active participants in the day-to-day administration The term "liberal" in "liberal democracy" does not imply that the government of such a democracy must follow the political ideology of A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Elections Presidents of Senegal 1960-present Léopold Sédar Senghor: 6 September 1960 - 31 December 1980 Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The Prime Minister of Senegal is the Head of government of Senegal. This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State Executive power is exercised by the government. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State Senegal is one of the few African states that has never experienced a coup d'etat. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Léopold Senghor, the first president after independence, abdicated in favor of his Prime Minister, Abdou Diouf in 1981. Sir Léopold Sédar Senghor ( 9 October 1906 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese Poet, politician and cultural theorist who Abdou Diouf (Abdu Juuf (born September 7, 1935) was the second President of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000 The present president, Abdoulaye Wade, was elected in fully democratic elections in March 2000. Abdoulaye Wade (born May 29 1926 is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000 Senegal has a reputation for transparency in government operations. The level of economic corruption that has damaged the development of the economies in other parts of the world is very low. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain Today Senegal has a democratic political culture, being part of one of the most successful democratic transitions in Africa. Senegal recognizes and respects all cultures, religions and traditions.

Introduction

The President is elected by universal adult suffrage to a 5-year term. The unicameral National Assembly has 120 members, who are elected separately from the President. The Socialist Party dominated the National Assembly until April 2001, when in free and fair legislative elections, President Wade's coalition won a majority (89 of 120 seats). The Socialist Party of Senegal ( Parti Socialiste du Sénégal, PS is a Political party in Senegal. The Cour de Cassation (Highest Appeals Court, equivalent to the U.S. Supreme Court) and the Constitutional Council, the justices of which are named by the President, are the nation's highest tribunals. The Court of Cassation (Cour de cassation is the highest court in Senegal. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Senegal is divided into 11 administrative regions, each headed by a governor appointed by and responsible to the President. The law on decentralization, which came into effect in January 1997, distributed significant central government authority to regional assemblies. __FORCETOC__ Decentralization or Decentralisation (see Spelling differences) is the process of dispersing Decision-making governance closer to the people Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar

Senegal’s principal political party was for 40 years the Socialist Party (PS). The Socialist Party of Senegal ( Parti Socialiste du Sénégal, PS is a Political party in Senegal. Its domination of political life came to an end in March 2000, when Abdoulaye Wade, the leader of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and leader of the opposition for more than 25 years, won the presidency. The Senegalese Democratic Party (Parti Démocratique Sénégalais is a political party in Senegal. Under the terms of the 2001 constitution, future presidents will serve for 5 years and be limited to two terms. Wade was the last President to be elected to a 7-year term.

President Wade has advanced a liberal agenda for Senegal, including privatizations and other market-opening measures. He has a strong interest in raising Senegal’s regional and international profile. The country, nevertheless, has limited means with which to implement ambitious ideas. The liberalization of the economy is proceeding, but at a slow pace. Senegal continues to play a significant role in regional and international organizations. President Wade has made excellent relations with the United States a high priority.

There are presently some 65 political parties, most of which are marginal and little more than platforms for their leaders. The principal political parties, however, constitute a true multiparty, democratic political culture, and they have contributed to one of the most successful democratic transitions in Africa, even among all developing countries. A flourishing independent media, largely free from official or informal control, also contributes to the democratic politics of Senegal.

The image of Wade as a constitutional democrat has however been tarnished by events at the end of his mandate. When faced with internal dissent within his own party his main opponent Idrissa Seck was arrested, accused of treason. Idrissa Seck (born August 9, 1959) is a Senegalese politician who was Prime Minister of Senegal from November 2002 to April Wade currently refuses to go along with holding presidential elections in 2006, arguing that there are economic reasons for wanting to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously in 2007. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Initially Wade's government had the support of a broad section of groups opposed to the socialist government, but gradually individual parties have disassociated themselves from the government and joined the opposition efforts led by PS.

Executive branch

The president is elected by popular vote for a seven-year term. Elections Presidents of Senegal 1960-present Léopold Sédar Senghor: 6 September 1960 - 31 December 1980 Abdoulaye Wade (born May 29 1926 is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000 The Senegalese Democratic Party (Parti Démocratique Sénégalais is a political party in Senegal. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Prime Minister of Senegal is the Head of government of Senegal. Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré (born 1951) has been the Prime Minister of Senegal since June 2007 Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The prime minister is appointed by the president. The Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

Legislative branch

The National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has 120 members, elected for a five year term, by parallel voting, with multi-seat rather than single-seat constituencies for the plurality part of the system. The National Assembly of Senegal (Assemblée nationale du Sénégal is the lower house of the country's parliament. Parallel voting describes a mixed Voting system where voters in effect participate in two separate elections using different systems and where the results in one election have A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty [1]

Political parties and elections

Judicial branch

The nation's highest courts that deal with business issues are the constitutional council, and the court of justice, members of which are named by the president.

Administrative divisions

Senegal is subdivided into 11 regions (régions, singular - région):

Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thiès, Ziguinchor. Dakar région is the smallest and most populated région of Senegal, encompassing the capital city of the country Dakar, and all Diourbel Region is a region of Senegal. The regional capital is the city of Diourbel. Fatick is the southwest region of the northern outcrop of Senegal. The Kaolack region is a region in Senegal. It borders Gambia and is a common stopping point for travel between Dakar and Banjul. Kolda is a region of Senegal (regional capitals have the same name as their respective regions Louga is a city and region of Senegal. The region is located to the northwest part of the country and Louga city is in the northwest of the region - about 50km inland Matam is a region of Senegal (regional capitals have the same name as their respective regions The Saint-Louis region ( French: Région Saint-Louis) of Senegal sits just off the border with Mauritania. Tambacounda is a crossroads in West Africa. It is a major train stop between Dakar, Senegal and Bamako, Mali. Thiès is a region of western Senegal. The capital is also called Thiès. Ziguinchor is a region of Senegal (regional capitals have the same name as their respective regions Local administrators are all appointed by and responsible to the President.

International relations

Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The Senegambia Confederation was a loose Confederation between the West African countries of Senegal and its neighbour The Gambia, which is almost However, the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a separatist group in the southern Casamance region has sporadically clashed with government forces since 1982. Casamance ( Casamança) is the area of Senegal south of The Gambia including the Casamance River. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace Senegal is member of ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO