Macky Sall, President of Senegal, has announced March 24 as the new date for the presidential election.
Sall announced the date on Wednesday during a meeting with the council of ministers at the presidential palace.
The president also dissolved all members of his cabinet, as his tenure will come to an end on April 2.
The presidential election was earlier scheduled to be held on February 25 but was indefinitely postponed by Sall 15 days before the commencement of political campaigns in the country.
He cited corruption allegations against two members of the constitutional council and problems with the candidate list as the reasons for the postponement of the earlier scheduled election.
The postponement received rejection from members of the opposition and several protests were staged to oppose the decision.
The opposition party viewed the postponement as “an institutional coup,” adding that it would extend Sall’s mandate beyond the constitutional stipulation.
This also led to the disconnection of internet service across the country.
In February, the Senegalese constitutional council, a body responsible for screening candidates for the presidency, declared the election postponement “illegal.”
In a communiqué by the council of ministers, they stressed the need to ensure Sall’s mandate is not “reduced or lengthened according to political circumstances, whatever the objective pursued.”
Sall removed Amadou Ba, who is currently contesting the presidential position under the ruling coalition, as prime minister.
He appointed Sidiki Kaba, the former minister of home affairs, as the new prime minister of Senegal.