Senegal: Issues arising
By DO
Oct 29, 2004, 08:24

The first statement of policy by Macky Sall the Prime minister since April is still making the headlines in
the Dakar press more for its seeming over ambitiousness than anything else.

Senegalese are almost incredulous that under the current very pressing economic woes in the country, which can
only worsen in the next year at least due to the locust invasion, which has destroyed the entire crop in many
regions, their PM has the confidence to raise so many expectations in his people.

Before the Parliament last week, Sall catalogued what can best be called a wish list for his government in the
coming year: a new airport in the interior to decongest the dilapidating one at Dakar, a bridge over The
Gambia at Bambatenda, increase in civil service pay, replacement of the doomed Le Joola ferry which capsized
off the Gambia coast in 2002 killing 3000, and so on.
On paper the projections are indeed timely and the average Senegalese cannot but wish him bon chance.
But can they be realized?

The proposed bridge across the Bambatenda crossing at Soma needs much more than ready cash to implement it; it
requires serious and perhaps painstaking talks with The Gambia, as such a bridge although of monumental
benefit to sub-regional trade, has strategic, and national interest for this country.

This is why the opposition claims that M Sall is trying to prepare Senegalese voters for the 2006 legislative
elections, cannot be easily dismissed.

President Wade is increasingly realizing that being a star statesman overseas, with the attendant almost
weekly foreign forays, does not make a successful leader at home. This should be one reason why M.Sall must be
seen to be doing something for the average Senegalese soon, if he is to survive.

Wade has shown in the past four years, that he does not keep PMs for long particularly when they want to be
seen to be rivaling him or fail to deliver the goods.
M Sall is dynamic and has the capability to deliver the goods, but to do so needs resources first and not mere
intent, and above all, for now Senegalese expect their government to tackle more pressing issues like the
locusts and the cholera outbreak in Dakar.

© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company




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