Senegal’s democratic debate has reached a decisive tipping point. Khalidou dit Mbaye Sokoma, president of the Patriotic Movement for Sustainable Development (MPPD) / AND DEFAR SUNU REEW, is calling for a bold and far-reaching overhaul of the country’s electoral system. His goal is clear: to ensure that political representation genuinely mirrors the will of voters, stays close to communities, and reflects the realities of every territory.
The current hybrid system and its shortcomings
Today, Senegal’s legislative elections rely on a mixed architecture: a single-round majority list system combined with proportional representation. Of the 165 seats in the National Assembly, 112 are filled through the majority vote and 53 through proportional representation on a national list. For municipal elections, the system is similarly mixed, with 45% of seats allocated by majority and 55% proportionally.
For Khalidou dit Mbaye Sokoma, this arrangement has shown its limits. He argues it must be re-examined so that the composition of assemblies more accurately reflects the votes cast by citizens.
1. A stronger proportional model with deeper local roots
One of the flagship proposals is the introduction of a fully proportional voting system for both legislative and local elections, while preserving a genuine territorial anchor.
The aim is not merely to distribute seats according to parties’ electoral weight, but to rebuild the link between elected officials and their constituents. To that end, candidacies should open beyond party machines to include citizens’ movements, independent candidates, and, under strict conditions, civil society and competent state services. Nominations would thus take root in the heart of neighbourhoods and villages, rewarding local presence and popular trust.
2. Redefining the role of MPs: from party to territory
The relationship between citizens, territory, and representatives must be rethought. The author insists on the need for MPs who are clearly identifiable by their constituents and regularly held accountable. Political parties would keep their supporting role but would no longer hold a monopoly on representation: the figure of the ‘party MP’ would give way to that of the ‘MP chosen by citizens and carried by a territory’.
3. Stabilising and clarifying the local vote
Applied to municipal and departmental elections, this strengthened proportional system would better reflect the diversity of political sensibilities within a commune. However, such openness must go hand in hand with the stability of local executives. Khalidou dit Mbaye Sokoma suggests introducing a second round when no list reaches an absolute majority (50%), allowing a clear decision between competing forces, subject to a prior study of legal and financial impacts.
4. A territorialised electoral administration
To complete the system, the local organisation of elections could rely more on prefects and sub-prefects within their respective jurisdictions, under the control of the national body and in strict compliance with impartiality and equality. Such territorialisation would foster dialogue with grassroots communities.
5. The special case of Kaolack: towards a new local organisation
Regarding Kaolack, a city spanning nearly 6,959 hectares (69.6 km²), structured into 45 neighbourhoods and home to a considerable population (1,336,720 inhabitants according to the 2023 RGPH-5), the author advocates a specific approach.
Given its urban growth and economic role, he recommends studying the creation of three or four arrondissement communes or local municipal entities. Such a transformation would be based on rigorous criteria: demography, infrastructure, living areas, tax resources, and administrative capacity.
In short, the quality of a democracy is measured by how clearly citizens can see their vote translated into seats and identify their spokespeople. Khalidou dit Mbaye Sokoma is therefore calling for a broad, pluralistic, and well-documented national debate to equip Senegal with a system where every citizen, every neighbourhood, and every village truly counts in choosing the nation’s representatives.