And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism

The And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism (And-Jëf/Parti Africain pour la démocratie et le socialisme) is a socialist political party in Senegal led by Landing Savané.

And-Jëf/PADS was founded in 1991, through the merger of And-Jëf / Revolutionary Movement for New Democracy, Socialist Workers Organisation, Union for People's Democracy and circle of readers of Suxuba. Savané ran as the party's presidential candidate in the 1993 election, taking 2.91% of the vote.[1] AJ/PADS was the only major opposition group to consistently refuse to participate in the government under President Abdou Diouf and the Socialist Party (PS).[2] At its February 1998 congress, it considered but decided against joining the Socialist International.[3] In March 1999, AJ/PADS and two other left-wing parties, the Party of Independence and Labor (PIT) and the Democratic League/Movement for the Labour Party (LD/MPT), agreed to support the candidacy of opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) in the 2000 presidential election.[4] After Wade's victory, the party gained a presence in the government, which it maintained until 2007.[5][6]

In the parliamentary election held on 29 April 2001, AJ/PADS won 4.05% of the popular vote and 2 out of 120 seats in the National Assembly.[1]

Savané ran as the party's candidate again in the February 2007 presidential election, and he said that the party's alliance with Wade would end after the election regardless of the winner.[5] In the election, Savané took seventh place with 2.07% of the vote.[7] Shortly after the election, the AJ/PADS ministers resigned from the government.[6] On 5 April, it was announced that the party, as part of the coalition And Defaar Sénégal, would contest the June 2007 parliamentary election, despite a boycott of the election by many other opposition parties. Party spokesman Madièye Mbodj said that boycotting was "not an efficient means to meet a political demand".[8] The coalition won three seats, including one for Savané.[9] In the August 2007 election to the Senate, AJ/PADS won one seat, from Vélingara Department, out of 35 elected seats; Wade's PDS won all of the other seats.[10]

As of mid-2007, there is said to be a serious dispute within the party between "reformist" and "communist" factions, with the latter group, which includes Madièye Mbodj, criticizing the former, which includes Savané, for their cooperation with Wade and alleged abandonment of communist ideas for the sake of self-interest.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 Elections in Senegal, African Elections Database.
  2. ↑ Political Parties of the World (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 511.
  3. ↑ Badara Ndiaye, "Senegal: From alternation to the need for an alternative", IV Online magazine : IV341 - June 2002.
  4. ↑ "Senegal: Left opposition parties rally behind single presidential candidate", Africa No 1 radio (nl.newsbank.com), March 23, 1999.
  5. 1 2 "Landing Savane to end his alliance with President Wade after the polls", African Press Agency, February 7, 2007.
  6. 1 2 "Landing Savané et ses ministres démissionnent du gouvernement", Nettali (Seneweb.com), February 27, 2007 (in French).
  7. ↑ "Le texte intégral de la décision du Conseil constitutionnel" Archived 2007-05-20 at the Wayback Machine., Agence de Presse Sénégalaise (Seneweb.com), March 11, 2007 (in French).
  8. ↑ "Party coalition unveils bid for parliamentary polls in Senegal", African Press Agency, April 5, 2007.
  9. ↑ "Le Conseil constitutionnel confirme définitivement la large victoire de la Coalition Sopi", Le Soleil (Seneweb.com), June 15, 2007 (in French).
  10. ↑ "Le pouvoir remporte 34 des 35 sièges de sénateurs pourvus", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), August 20, 2007 (in French).
  11. ↑ "Landing Savané conteste : Les dessous de la crise à And Jëf", WalFadjri (Seneweb.com), August 22, 2007.
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