Senegalese Democratic Party
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The Senegalese Democratic Party (french: Parti démocratique sénégalais) is a political party in
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ðž ...
. The party considers itself a
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
party and is a member of the
Liberal International Liberal International (LI) is a worldwide organization of liberal political parties - a political international. It was founded in Oxford in 1947 and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties, aiming to strengthen liberalism around ...
.
Abdoulaye Wade Abdoulaye Wade (born 29 May 1926)
Encyclopedia of the Nations. Retrieved February 28, ...
, who was President of Senegal from 2000 to 2012, is the party's leader. The PDS ruled together with smaller parties as part of the
Sopi Coalition The Sopi Coalition was the governing political alliance in Senegal during the presidency of Abdoulaye Wade. The alliance is composed of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and smaller parties. Wade is the Secretary-General of the PDS. The al ...
. Since Wade's defeat in the 2012 presidential election, the PDS has been the main opposition party.


History

At a summit of the
Organization of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; french: Organisation de l'unité africaine, OUA) was an intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 signatory governments. One of the main heads for OAU's ...
in
Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
in 1974, Wade told President
Léopold Sédar Senghor Léopold Sédar Senghor (; ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese poet, politician and cultural theorist who was the first president of Senegal (1960–80). Ideologically an African socialist, he was the major theoretician o ...
that he wanted to start a new party, and Senghor agreed to this. The PDS was founded on 31 July 1974 and recognized on 8 August.Dominique Mataillet
"Senghor reconnaît le parti de Wade"
''Jeune Afrique'', 6 August 2006 .
Tidiane Dioh
"Sous l'étiquette libérale"
''Jeune Afrique'', 21 October 2002 .
In its first constitutive congress, held on 31 January – 1 February 1976, the PDS described itself as a party of labor, but soon afterwards a law was introduced according to which three parties were allowed in Senegal: a socialist party, a Marxist–Leninist party, and a liberal party. The first two categories were already taken, and the PDS assumed the role of a liberal party rather than be dissolved. Abdoulaye Wade is the Secretary General of the PDS and has led the party since its foundation in 1974.''Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders'' (2003), page 457. The PDS joined the Liberal International at the latter's Berlin Congress in 1980. The PDS participated, along with the ruling
Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...
, in a national unity government that was formed in 1991, but withdrew from it on October 20, 1992, saying that the Socialist Party had monopolized control of the government and marginalized the PDS. Wade ran against the Socialist incumbent, Abdou Diouf, in the February 1993 presidential election, but lost to Diouf, receiving 32% of the vote against Diouf's 58%. In the subsequent May 1993 parliamentary election, the PDS won 27 out of 120 seats in the National Assembly. The PDS and the Socialist Party began discussing the formation of another government together, but this was aborted by the assassination of Constitutional Council vice-president
Babacar Sèye Babacar may refer to: *Babacar (name) *Babacar (band) Babacar was a short-lived rock supergroup formed in England, featuring former members of Shelleyan Orphan, The Cure, and Presence. The group released one album in their brief existence, t ...
on May 15; because the PDS had been critical of Sèye, they were suspected of responsibility for the killing. The PDS then joined the Bokk Sopi Senegaal opposition coalition, in which it remained until rejoining the government in March 1995. Between 2005 and 2012 the PDS was associated with the international party network Alliance of Democrats. Within Senegal, the party has been part of the Patriotic Front for the Defence of the Republic since 2014 with And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism. After running alone in the 2012 election, the PDS contested the following elections as part of opposition alliances,
Manko Wattu Sénégal The Manko Wattu Sénégal coalition is a group of several political parties organised to contest the 2017 Senegalese legislative elections. The coalition was organised and principally led by the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) of former Presiden ...
in
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
and
Wallu Sénégal The Wallu Sénégal Grand Coalition (, WS) is a Senegalese opposition political coalition led by the 96-year-old ex- president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, and his Senegalese Democratic Party. The party has entered into an alliance with the oppositi ...
in
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
. The party succeeded in gradually increasing its parliamentary representation, up to 24 MPs in 2022, but didn't prevent Macky Sall from forming a government after both elections.


Electoral history


Presidential elections

Wade ran in every presidential election from 1978 to 2012, finally becoming elected President of Senegal in 2000 against incumbent President Abdou Diouf. Wade was reelected in the first round of the 2007 election, but went on to lose the 2012 election to incumbent President
Macky Sall Macky Sall (, wo, Maki Sàll, fuc, 𞤃𞤢𞤳𞤭 𞤅𞤢𞤤‎, italic=no, Maki Sal; born 11 December 1961) is a Senegalese politician who has been President of Senegal since April 2012. He was re-elected President in the first round voti ...
.


National Assembly elections


See also

* Liberal Pupils and Students Movement


References


External links


Official website
{{Authority control Political parties in Senegal 1974 establishments in Senegal Political parties established in 1974 Liberal International Liberal parties in Senegal